Statement: Press conference and silent demonstration at LMDC board meeting

Bettina Damiani, Project Director
Member, Liberty Bond Housing Coalition

June 12, 2003

Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg have turned their back on working and poor New Yorkers by insisting 9/11 resources be used for the development of luxury housing and too often catering to large corporations. Unless officials change course, all of Downtown is poised to become of a zone of exclusion. We must do better and create a community that is true to the socially inclusive values that make this city and this country great.

Good Jobs New York, a member of the Liberty Bond Housing Coalition, demands that the City and State halt any future allocation of Liberty Bonds for housing or Community Development Block Grants until a plan is put in place that would address the needs of the majority of residents and those working in Lower Manhattan. Only by implementing such a plan, could the Mayor keep his promise to rebuild Lower Manhattan as a diverse, vibrant community.

Today, in the midst of excessive unemployment and homelessness in our city, it is unbelievable to think that public officials are not doing everything in their power to assist those in need. The sad fact is, with billions of dollars in resources available, our state and local leaders have made decisions that only hamper the creation of affordable housing in Lower Manhattan.