Water Utility Will Be Shut Off For Thousands of Newarkers

Ok. This is ridiculous.

CNN video re: the shut off.

Star Ledger Article (I would have been quoted again, but I failed to make the deadline):

Clearly, the Savior's Finest opposes such punitive action. The debts should have been collected before they reached the current levels, which are causing the shut offs. This also speaks to absentee landlords who, because they are not the ones to suffer, believe that the water utility bill is not important enough to pay.

IF ANYONE IS CUT OFF: WITHHOLD YOUR RENT MONEY AND DEPOSIT IT WITH THE WATER COMMISSION. YOUR WATER WILL BE TURNED ON AGAIN AND THE COST WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR RENT.

CLEAR EXPLANATIONS: HOW TO LISTEN TO THE LIVE STREAM

CLEAR EXPLANATIONS: HOW TO LISTEN LIVE

0. MAKE SURE THAT I'M ON LIVE!!! If not, this will not work.

1. YOU MUST DOWNLOAD VLC to listen LIVE. It is my favorite player for years! It plays everything, if you have ever downloaded something and can't open it, this program will.

2. Open VLC

3. Click File, Choose "Open Network."

4. Click the button that says "HTTP/FTP/MMS/RTSP"

5. Cut and paste the following URL: http://65.60.53.234:8300/live.m3u

6. Click OK and Press Play!!! You should be hearing me live. You can make requests at the link below:

Visit:
MAIN SITE WITH ALL LINKS, PLAYLIST, DOWNLOADS, REQUEST FORM

For More experienced users who use other players - Stream:
Stream Link (mp3 on Auto DJ, OGG Vorbis Live)

Download "The People's Housing Speak Out" June 30, 2009 at Grace Episcopal Church

Sponsored by the Greater Newark HUD Tenants Coalition and the Newark Coalition for Low Income Housing.

WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE GRASSROOTS THINKS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NEWARK? THIS IS IT.

Click HERE and download the file. The event was split into three segments, each segment as well as the speakers are identified. A list will be uploaded shortly.

Greater Newark HUD Tenants Coalition Speaks With Governor Jon Corzine at James Baxter Terrace Public Housing Complex

Ok so his aides took a million pictures, but none of them are on Flickr. This is from my phone.

The meeting was made possible by the efforts of Donna Jackson and Louis Shockley, two committed community activists.

Ms. Jackson and I had the opportunity to ask the governor several questions and present him several of the tenant's plights. I was able to personally hand him some information from the Greater Newark HUD Tenants Coalition about the bleak status of the public housing stock in Newark. Tenants made it clear that the demolition of Baxter Terrace is resulting in gentrification because people are being pushed out of Newark, communities that have seen generations of families are being torn apart, and the proposed replacement for affordable housing does not meet modest expectations or legal requirements. Out of 5000 proposed units, 20 will be affordable. BIG WHOOP! Some tenants even mentioned the environmental problems over at Hyatt court because of its proximity to the overpass of Routes 1 and 9 as well as the displacement of tenants because half of the complex is proposed for demolition.

I was very happy to ask the governor before to call a meeting of the State Housing Commission, mandated by A500 in the Summer of 2008. He didn't say anything, but he did not expect that request judging from the shock on his face.

Greater Newark HUD Tenants Coalition Organizer Victor Monterrosa, Jr. Quoted in Tuesday's 8/11/09 Star Ledger

The NHA has unveiled two new complexes. Of course, they always forget to mention that they are yet to explain how they will follow state law A500 and replace every unit that is being demolished. Even worse, their celebration of these units is a blow to residents conscious of the systematic displacement of residents to places outside of Newark coupled with an influx of affluent people, aka GENTRIFICATION.

The Link:

Newark unveils second phase of $21M affordable housing project - by David Giambusso/The Star-Ledger

The Quote:

While politicians and housing officials said they were heartened by the new approach to public housing, some expressed frustration that more housing was not available to Newark's poor.

"I think that it's nice that these units are being provided, but we're still losing over a thousand units," said Victor Monterrosa Jr., an organizer for the Greater Newark HUD Tenants Coalition. "The townhouses look great, they really do, but it doesn't replace hard public housing units.''

Monterrosa said there should be more focus on preserving and upgrading current public housing units such as the Baxter Terrace and John W. Hyatt Court.

"If you look at the structure, you can gut it and redevelop and you can have long-standing structures that are modern," Monterrosa said.

Personally, I think the format in the paper is better. There is a big picture of Cory Booker and Frank Lautenberg in the units.

Unfortunately - along the lines of thought espoused by the woman quoted at the end - it is rumored that tenants moving into these units will not be allowed to make any modifications to the units, such as hanging items on the wall or painting walls. A community activist refers to this as prison, which sadly is only half true since in NJ prisoners can no longer hang up items on walls but in many prisons across the country prisoners do.

NCC Article on Housing Speak Out

This is a nice article summarizing the speak out from New Community Corporation's perspective.