At the Jeffersonville News and Tribune, there is an article: “New Albany Housing Authority moving forward with $27 million in renovations,” by Daniel Suddeath.
City Hall’s seizure of the New Albany Housing Authority in 2017 was a pre-emptive counter-revolution.
The “revolution” being countered was former NAHA chief Bob Lane’s plan to revitalize public housing stock by a 1-to-1 replacement of buildings. If the city waited for Lane to be successful in initiating the first step of the plan, which he was about to do, then the prospect of controlling NAHA might dissipate.
Besides, with Ben Carson at Housing in DC, who at the top of the pyramid would object? If national Trumpism provided a convenient screen for local Democrats to behave like Republicans, well, so it goes, right?
In 2017, City Hall stated its rationale for deposing NAHA’s management by saying that in reality, public housing needed to be halved in New Albany. This was stated, openly.
For four years since, a few units have been cleared, and a few others built (market rate with a few “public housing” apartments retained). Otherwise NAHA has been land-banking properties throughout the city.
Where’d the money come from? What are they for?
The new plan (article below) calls for refurbishment via tax credits — isn’t this the same as Lane’s plan?
And what of Riverview Tower’s impending demolition?
Previously the current director of NAHA, formerly the redevelopment director for the city, said that no development whatever was being planed for the tower’s vacated footprint or nearby acreage which has been acquired by the city.
If this is true, then why is the city (redevelopment commission and NAHA) amassing prime commercial properties to be removed from the tax rolls and allowed to remain fallow?
What does any of this have to do with public housing in a broader sense?
And, finally and most importantly, if the mayor’s stated objective in 2017 was to halve public housing, and that’s exactly what he said at the time, then how close is he to achieving this goal after four years?
Or, has something occurred to change his mind, and if so, what is it?
The preceding questions were not answered by the newspaper’s stenographic infomercial today, causing me to wonder if they were so much as asked. I’m retired from making it my duty to ask the questions that apparently never occur to journalists or political sycophants, but every now and then from the comfort of my internal Exile (on Spring Street), I feel compelled to at least make part of the public record those bits that are otherwise being ignored.
After all, I’m still a “concern” taxpayer
(If I’m mistaken about questions raised and/or issues discussed in this post, please explain how and I’ll make the necessary corrections. Is the Reisz Mahal open yet?)
