Hypo'christ'y

On January 8, 2001 Nick Christ, the chairman of the Community Advisory Group on Public Housing, published a report. It is amazing that Nick Christ is now pushing for additional affordable / subsidized housing. Here are excerpts of the report Nick Christ authored.

“The city also has a high percentage of rental assisted housing, including units managed by the Fall River Housing Authority (FHRA), which for the most part are in need of significant renovation and/or modernization.”

“…the report indicates that Fall River at 17.3% had one of the highest amounts of rental assisted housing (project based and tenant vouchers), as a percentage of total housing in 2000, in the Commonwealth.”

“…the current rent at older, multi-family properties can support appropriate income levels within 40% and 125% of median household income ($12,000 to $36,000), depending on the size of the unit, while still being within HUD’s standard of 30% for housing costs.”

“As such, the City has an excess supply of 2,000 to 3,0000 housing units in relation to the potential number of households that would qualify for rental assistance. This is because a supply of roughly 17,200 units exist at older, multi-family properties where rents are considered affordable for this income group.”

“it is clear that the city has one of the highest amounts of rental assisted housing (17.3%) within the Commonwealth”

“there is an oversupply of 2,000 to 3,000 private housing units which exceeds the potential local demand for affordable housing.”

“the high percentage of rental assisted housing has placed more demands on city services in the area of public safety and education”

Nick Christ’s committee made these recommendations: “Recommend to the Mayor of the City of Fall River, that the city develop an overall comprehensive housing strategy so as to effectively coordinate housing, economic development, education and city services and other public policy concerns.”

“Recommend to the Mayor of the City of Fall River that the Fall River Housing Authority and the City of Fall River place a moratorium on the issuance of new Section 8 vouchers and the construction of non-owner occupied low income housing units. In addition, the Fall River Housing Authority should work with the South Shore Housing Development Corporation to relocate some of the existing vouchers to the surrounding towns.”

Here is great recommendation that Christ made:

“Recommend to the Mayor of the City of Fall River the development of a cap and a reduction of total housing units allocated for rental assistance (i.e., project based and tenant vouchers) from the current 17.3% to a range of 12% - 15% through a reduction of tenant vouchers and a reduction of density in Pleasant View, Sunset Hill, Heritage Heights and Maple Gardens.”

So there was have Nick Christ saying we must reduce rental assistance and now he wants to increase rental assistance!!!

Community Advisory Meeting December 18, 2000 Minutes Nick Christ stated: “The Housing Authority takes the state money and rehabilitates these projects but the private sector gets hurt because people living in the old housing stock surrounding the projects moves to new housing stock. Mr. Christ mentioned that what happens is the surrounding neighborhood further deteriorates and valuations, i.e. tax dollars, which drive the city and makes it a viable place to live declines further.”

I guess Mr. Christ is not so concerned about the private tenements any longer.


-Courtesy of Tom Paine