Wake up and smell the coffee

To the editor,

After Labor Day, Mitchell-Lama Park Reservoir residents were informed that the board had assigned the management of its three buildings — also known as PR 2, 3 and 4 — to Summit Cooperation.

It seems proper to inform the New York City community of applicants on New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) waiting list, who have “survived” the long and exhausting screening process to be admitted to the oldest Mitchell-Lama project in the state, that there are now several vacated and restored units available to finally be assigned.

As HCR approves the allocation of these units, the board will gain additional revenue to support indispensable services such as security patrols for the buildings and adjacent parking lots at PR 3 and PR 4. The recently installed EV stations may also appeal to environmentally conscious residents and families concerned about their children’s respiratory health, issues tied to Bronx air quality.

This could be good news for those citizens, if they are still interested after waiting on the external list for years and despite the higher upfront deposits which are now required.

Under HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas (2010–present), there has been an expectation that the New York state-subsidized Mitchell-Lama project — created for low- and moderate-income taxpayers — would be efficiently managed and maintained, not subject to politicized interests. That commitment is essential if this Mitchell-Lama project is to be saved from bankruptcy, a threat which has been mentioned during shareholder meetings in recent years.

Perhaps some residents with personal internal connections may not wish to see the status quo disturbed if they have themselves benefited from special accommodations that may not have followed HCR regulations. Meanwhile, the state may also see financial opportunity in privatization, given ongoing gentrification pressures in the Bronx.

Shareholders will elect new board members at their annual October meeting, with three vacant positions this year. Candidates may apply by submitting their resume and outlining their expertise, as terms of one, two or three years will be filled under the by-laws. Stronger screening of candidates’ qualifications would ensure a competent, transparent board.

Finally, updating the 1995 House Rules — last reprinted in 2015 — is long overdue. A younger generation of skilled residents, including those with maintenance experience, could bring real participation to these 68-year-old buildings and help ensure fairness, diversity of ethnicities and cultures as well as long-term habitability for all.

DR. ISABELLA
PERSICO