housing-grousing

April Tyler, a prominent community leader in West Harlem who was known for her advocacy for affordable housing, died on Feb. 16. She was 60 years old. Her unexpected death has impacted many residents in West Harlem, as friends and colleagues mourn her death and reflect on her decades of service to the community.

Once a lively hub for music and dance, the RKO Hamilton Theater, an ornately decorated building located on the corner of 146th Street and Broadway now lies vacant. Recently, local residents have begun to discuss plans to purchase and repurpose the site for the benefit of the community, with many hoping to redevelop the site into affordable housing and a community arts center. However, the theater’s historical and cultural significance has sparked debate on how to balance the need for development and preserving the site’s historic integrity.

Across the city, open work orders for maintenance issues in the Grant Houses of the New York City Housing Authority development in Morningside Heights requiring attention skyrocketed 40 percent from 344,960 in December 2019 to 483,240 in December 2020. This drastic increase can likely be attributed to the pause on some maintenance work in the early months of the pandemic and decreased funding as the city faces a financial crisis, compounded with the longstanding lack of agency within NYCHA.

Community leaders and West Harlem residents huddled in front of an empty lot on Amsterdam Avenue for a press conference to protest the proposed construction of a homeless shelter at 1763-1771 Amsterdam Avenue. Knowing that the building is likely to be converted into market-rate apartments after the seven-year lease, they instead called on the city to build permanent, affordable housing at the site.

Just as first-years and sophomores were preparing to move to campus last summer, Columbia abruptly announced the cancellation of all semester-long housing contracts. Students and their families were forced to cancel plane tickets and hotel reservations and reconsider their plans for the semester ahead.

Thousands of Columbia and Barnard students are returning to New York after Columbia partially reopened on-campus housing this semester. For the majority of these students, it has been almost a year since they’ve lived at Columbia, and for some, it will be their first time stepping foot on campus. While students are eager to return to a “normal” college experience, some Morningside Heights and West Harlem residents worry that Columbia’s reopening plan may put Morningside Heights residents at higher risk for COVID-19.

Finding and creating lasting memories with your roommate(s) is one of the most exciting parts of college. During a pandemic, it is especially important to be cautious about whom you decide to cohabit with. Roommates can make or break your experience. Murky boundaries can lead to unpleasant exchanges. Based on our own highs and lows, here are tips for choosing a roommate or getting along better with current ones, and a sample roommate contract for you both to talk through!

Kofi Boateng, the first executive director of the West Harlem Development Corporation, is leaving the organization, according to a statement released by the WHDC on Nov. 20. WHDC board member and treasurer Zead Ramadan will serve as the interim executive director while the board searches for a permanent one.

McGiffert Hall, designed in 1931 by the same architects responsible for the architecture of Vassar College, Williams College, and Union Theological Seminary, is a beloved, seven-story granite and limestone apartment building adjacent to Riverside Church. These days, however, McGiffert is vulnerable and at risk of being demolished.

As the fall 2020 semester comes to an end, we’re all looking forward to enjoying our winter break. However, as much as we are excited for next semester, many of us are still questioning whether it is safe to return to campus and the city. Although it is ultimately your own decision, here are some questions to consider while you prepare for next semester.