Bronx Public Housing Advisory Council to address concerns residents dealing with housing problems

BY Mike Jaccarino
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, December 4th 2009, 1:14 PM

Adams for News

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. (l.) launched an inititative to tackle
housing project problems in the Bronx.

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Broken elevators. No heat. No hot water.

They want to tackle all of these city housing project problems in the Bronx and more.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced Thursday the creation of the Bronx Public Housing Advisory Council to address the concerns of the more than 100,000 Bronx residents who live in the city Housing Authority buildings.

The council is comprised of 50 tenant association leaders representing more than 130 Bronx developments.

Diaz said they will work on such issues as quality of life, safety and greater tenant involvement in decisions by the financially struggling agency.

The Bronx has 44,457 NYCHA units, with a total of 103,661 residents - some 25% of the citywide NYCHA population.

"This council wasn't created to point fingers," said Diaz, who was instrumental in its formation.

"We will work together with NYCHA, with the mayor's office, with the City Council, to be sure that we can find solutions to improve the quality of life of our residents.

"I look forward to working with these and other tenant leaders, from across the Bronx, to put forward a strong agenda for the improvement of our public housing facilities."

"NYCHA welcomes and supports input from this Task Force in assisting the authority in maintaining safe and secure public housing," responded NYCHA spokeswoman Sheila Stainback.

Officials said that issues involving safety at NYCHA housing projects would be a major subject for the council to address.

Through the first seven months of the year, police reported major crime - including rape, robbery and assault - was down 17.1% in Bronx NYCHA projects, with 1,754 major crimes reported.

"It sounds good," Thomas Cole, 46, a tenant at a NYCHA building on Park Ave., said of the new council. "Anybody that is willing to help people in public housing - that's a good thing. It depends on the building. Some are good, some are bad, but this is definitely a good thing."

Herma Williams, 54, a resident of the Pelham Parkway Houses and a member of the new council, said, "I think it's a great idea for the borough president to do this.

He's new to the Bronx and new to this position and residents in public housing need to have a voice so someone who is an elected official hears our concerns and can address them or give us direction on how to resolve some of our concerns."

John Johnson, 45, a resident of Mott Haven Houses and also a member of the new council, agreed.

"We will be able to advocate on the residents' behalf far more easily," he said.

mjaccarino@nydailynews.com