The American Jewish Congress has disclosed that it has gotten “a firm commitment from the City Housing Authority” to provide essential police, transportation, educational and recreational facilities to the Forest Hills community in connection with the controversial low-income housing project now being build there. The AJCongress called on the Lindsay administration to appoint a “coordinator of services” assigned to make sure that these facilities are actually provided.
Mrs. Sylvia Deutsch, director of the AJ Congress New York Metropolitan Council said the commitment was the outcome of a “lengthy” meeting held about a week ago between the Jewish group and Housing Authority Chairman Simeon Golar who agreed to seek implementation of the proposal by City Hall. Mrs. Deutsch said agreement was reached on five major issues, the first of which is crime prevention.
The Housing Authority will permanently station about seven Housing Authority policemen at the 840-family project and will establish close contact with the local precinct captain. In the area of transportation, another major concern of the Forest Hills community, the Housing Authority agreed to initiate discussions with the Metropolitan Transit Authority to establish express bus service from Forest Hills to Manhattan. The Housing Authority will also press the State Legislature to restore funds for the construction of a new high school in nearby Corona.
JASA, YS TO BE INVOLVED
Recreational facilities are to be established for project tenants and others in the immediate vicinity with the Housing Authority providing staff and equipment. The Authority will work in this connection with the United Neighborhood Houses and the Associated YM-YWHAs to establish recreational programs at the project. It will also explore with the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) sponsorship of special facilities for elderly persons living in and outside of the project.
The delivery of these and other services promised by the city to the Forest Hills project would be the responsibility of the coordinator of services proposed by the AJCongress, Mrs. Deutsch said. The coordinator would be named by the Mayor’s Urban Action Task Force and would work directly with the chairman of the local Forest Hills task force and with community groups.
Mrs. Deutsch said the AJCongress supports both the principle of low-income scatter-site housing and the specific project under construction in Forest Hills. “At the same time, we recognize the legitimate concern that a project of this size and scope could place a severe strain on the already burdened community facilities available to the area,” she said.
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