Despite broader shortcomingswith how the city calculates “affordability,” I’m confident that creating dozens of homes restricted to formerly homeless tenants with zero income, in addition to individual seniors making anywhere from $34,000 to $45,000 annually, would be an incredibly positive addition to the city, especially to such a wealthy, exclusive area. (A June Hell Gate interview with local low-income seniors suggests that many feel the same way.) That said, I would gladly support calculating resident eligibility on post-tax,rather than pre-tax income, as Grant suggests. But given that all proposals for the garden failed to include a legislative package addressing city policy on the matter, it doesn’t seem the most relevant criterion with which to litigate the site’s future.
In general, I find disappointing the extent to which this tiny plot in lower Manhattan has become a proxy for so many other issues that cannot be decided in the limited scope of a land-use fight,sucking energy away from urgent, proactive, and more relevant organizing. I’ve been involved in …
