And it's not like the housing plan is the only part of HPD's workload that involves tough choices. Community Service Society housing analyst Victor Bach says he hopes the next HPD boss also pays attention to tenant protections. But Bloomberg's November round of cuts reduced funding for HPD's tenant anti-harassment program by $300,000.
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NYCHA, meanwhile, is struggling to deal with years of underfunding by the federal, state and city governments. Despite layoffs, the closure of community centers and a drastic plan to use Section 8 vouchers to pay for public housing, the authority is still facing nine-digit deficits this year and in future years, leading some critics to call for the privatization of some of NYCHA's 179,000-unit portfolio. (The NYCHA funding crisis will be covered in depth in the January issue of City Limits Investigates.) It's unclear what mark Morales will make on this situation. His appointment is technical in nature, as NYCHA continues its national search for a permanent leader, according to Reginald H. Bowman, chairman of the Citywide Council of Presidents of NYCHA residents' associations.
Obama's position papers and the Democratic platform called for a restoration of full federal funding for public housing, but it remains to be seen whether the incoming administration will deliver. Besides the HPD and NYCHA posts, housing advocates wonder who will be selected to run public housing under Donovan at HUD.
Also unclear is what role the new White House Office of Urban Policy will play in public housing and affordable housing policy. News reports indicate that Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion will be named to run that office, although neither Carrion's office nor the Obama transition team would comment on the reported appointment.
If he does take the post, Carrion's departure will have an immediate impact on local politics because a special election will be called to fill his seat until the 2009 general election in November. Councilman Joel Rivera, state Senator Jose Serrano and Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr. have all displayed interest in the Beep job. Diaz's father, state Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., is one of the three senators withholding support for the Democratic caucus in Albany, raising the possibility that the borough-wide race will affect negotiations in the legislature's upper chamber.
This story has been updated with news of Ricardo Morales' appointment. 12/16/08
