Save Public Housing in Peekskill

TO: Andrew M. Cuomo, New York State Governor
David A. Montoya, Inspector General, HUD

Dear Governor Cuomo and Inspector General Montoya:

When will it stop? Residents of public housing in Peekskill, NY face daily violation of their rights and harassment. Private and public appeals have been made for more than TWO YEARS yet Peekskill officials do nothing to guarantee the rights of residents nor protect those who have the courage to denounce the violations. Retaliation and suppression of the democratic process are the City's response. Peekskill's Housing Authority, Mayor and City Council are failing these citizens. We need your help!

Staj and the Stajettes are young nine to twelve-year-old African-American girls who dance. They are two-time Apollo Theater champions who appeared on Maury’s Talented Kids, were honored at the United Nations, performed live with Diddy on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and can be found on YouTube (see link at end). Many members have gone on to college, one studying medicine.

The program is volunteer-run and costs the city of Peekskill very little. However, after 15 years of Parks and Rec providing them with a bus at the average cost of $800 a year, Peekskill Mayor Mary Foster and the Peekskill City Council cancelled all bus rides for them. This follows many months of the girls being locked out of practice in the Bohlman Towers community room. The Mayor’s leadership maintains a culture of racism as evidenced by more than two years of insulting disrespect as residents asked for help in common council meetings. Instead of assistance, requests for fair treatment have resulted in retaliation—against city workers who complained, residents of public housing and now against young children.

This is part of a bigger picture of so-called gentrification in which low-income tenants’ rights are being violated. The Housing Authority is acting against the tenants in unlawful ways, including illegal entry and sexual harassment. The acting Housing Director is Harold Phipps, who was reprimanded by HUD in 2003 and fired in New Jersey. He was hired in Peekskill in 2009, but his contract was not renewed in June 2011. His current acting position violates HUD standards, since he does not have an approved contract. The mayor disavows all knowledge of the Housing Authority activities, but she selects five out of seven board members, including a voting member from her city council.

Appeals have been made to Mayor Mary Foster with little result. It is time for an investigation of Human Rights by the state and by HUD. Governor Cuomo and Inspector General Montoya, please help!