The brilliance of the Mitchell-Lama program-Why buildings need to go private

This wasn’t mentioned by any of the respondents in the Privatization case. I hope that maybe the Court of Appeals judges will read it.

I don’t get why the people who support Mitchell-Lama, the politicians who are crying to save affordable housing and those in the EMP-MLO support part of the Mitchell-Lama program but not it’s true intent. The reason that buildings are allowed to leave the program after 20 years is because the framers of the Mitchell-Lama program understood that a multi-unit dwelling will start to need expensive repairs later in it’s life. Local Law 11 work, roof replacement, window replacement, pipes, boilers, concrete work, etc. are only a small part of it. Buildings are allowed to leave the program so that funds can be made available for these repairs. Without these funds, the buildings will crumble into the ground like what is happening to Co-Op city in the Bronx.

The 2nd part of this brilliant strategy is that the State and Local government is supposed to use the funds generated provided by a Mitchell-Lama building exiting the program (from the pre-payment of the mortgage) to build more Mitchell-Lama housing. This has never happened.

east midtown plaza
mitchell-lama
privatization

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