CB9 Committee Defers Decision on CU Housing

The Community Board 9 Housing Land Use Committee considered a housing resolution drawn up by the Coalition to Preserve Community last night that asked Columbia to stop converting University-owned, rent-stabilized community housing into housing for students and staff.

After extensive debate, the board did not reach a consensus and postponed the decision until the next meeting.

The resolution was supported mainly by community members who feel that the board needs to take a stronger stance on the housing issue, especially in light of Columbia's planned expansion into Manhattanville. However, CB9 Chair George Goodwill objected to the resolution on the grounds that "it is not within the Board's jurisdiction to tell a private entity what to do with its property."

In its present form, the resolution calls on Columbia University "as a good citizen and responsible member of the community" to help alleviate the housing crisis by maintaining rent-regulated housing for the community instead of converting it into University housing.

Currently, when a resident in a University-owned, rent-controlled apartment moves out or dies without designating an inheritor, Columbia University's status as a not-for-profit agency allows it to remove the apartment from the market and convert it into housing for University students and staff. Because of this process, the number of rent-controlled apartments that are not used for University purposes has declined from 6,000 to 750 over the past decade.

"We're asking the board to take a position as it has on many issues," said Tom Kappner, head of the Coalition to Preserve Community. He argued that there is a precedent for CB9 to single out private landowners like Columbia, citing CB9's attempt to landmark the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for historic preservation. Kappner argued for a symbolic stance against private landowners. "What we're saying is asking you to landmark us, to landmark the tenants," he said.

Committee member Christina Lee voiced concerns that the resolution unfairly singled out Columbia. "Columbia is not the only not-for-profit, real estate shark operating in our board," she said, calling for a general housing policy dealing with not-for-profit organizations.

Lee also criticized the specificity of the resolution's language, which addresses only real estate owned by Columbia and not instances of expansion by other organizations, such as the net-leasing of a building to Columbia by a private realtor.

Other committee members supported Lee, perhaps fearing that singling out Columbia might sour negotiations between CB9 and the University.

Tom DeMott, an organizer of the Coalition to Preserve Community, countered that there are good reasons for addressing Columbia directly. "Columbia is being singled out because, between 110th and 125th Street, they own half of the buildings," he said. "There is no other comparable private landlord in this area. The only one that comes close is Barnard, and I believe they own maybe four or five buildings, if that."

However, DeMott emphasized that CB9, in passing the resolution, would not be telling the University what to do. "What we're saying is, 'We are calling upon you, Columbia, as a good neighbor, as a good citizen, if you want to do your part to alleviate the housing crisis for which you are singlehandedly the major factor in this community, this is what you can do and this is what you should do.' That's what this resolution does."

Goodwill pointed out that the board had indeed taken a position on affordable housing with its 197-A Plan that sets forth a framework for the responsible development of the land west of Broadway between 110th and 155th Streets. He reiterated that the board cannot reprimand any one institution and suggested that these concerns be brought to an elected official.

Kappner remains optimistic about cooperation with the CB9 Board. "Whether the board has brought up some of what they consider to be potential legal technicalities of [the resolution] will not stop us from trying to find a way of getting the board to support the general tenor of our idea," he said.