Fay Apartments redo

[t45209]

Originally Posted by abr7rmj

The area wasn't always bad. I think Tony Perez and some of the Reds lived there in the 1970s, though I could mistaken.

Incidently, plenty of Bengals and Reds now live in the Lytle Place tower on the river and throughout downtown.

I think you're thinking of that place out in Mt. Airy.

[Cincy Rider]

I've been there many times. Pretty depressing going into the various units. But it is a true community and I think that is why it exists. CPD had two sub-stations there if that tells you anything, and at one time Fay accounted for more CPD calls than any other neighborhood. I never felt threatened as a service guy just because there's a code not to mess with workers there to help the peeps there.

It seems $36 mil could raze the whole property and build City-West type townhomes?

[Cincy Rider]

Originally Posted by t45209

I think you're thinking of that place out in Mt. Airy.

Uh, Park Valley?

[goyguy]

Re displacement, let's not kid ourselves. A lot of the "people with issues" causing trouble in Westwood and Mt Airy are there because they were pushed out of the Millvale and English Woods projects in Fairmount while those developments were "improved." This is bound to repeat itself when/if The Fay gets closed for remodeling. With OTR and the West End it's not as cut-and-dried because the dispersing was into other neighborhoods as well, e.g. Avondale.
Cincinnati seems to be missing what is slowly catching on in some other cities including Boston and Chicago. The Fay is right on top of a hill, so must have incredible views. Views sell. What the cities I'm mentioning, and probably others, are doing is to not keep these complexes essentially the same but make them over into "mixed-income" communities. (City West doesn't count, since nearly all of Laurel Homes was demo'd to make way for it.) Most of the existing structures, which have "good bones" despite wear and tear, get full makeovers after which they don't look like warehouses for the poor any longer. Then "townhomes" and/or smaller apartment buildings go up where some of the original buildings were removed. I was a skeptic about this approach, but it's working. A lottery is held to determine which of the displaced people can return, with other housing found for those who don't hit the number. Screening and eviction proceedings are toughened up (which of course should've been done in the first place.) Not that the results have been a total bed of roses, but these new neighborhoods are fully occupied and far safer than before. Proximity to downtown and other desirable destinations such as parks, not to mention views in The Fay's case, help keep the units rented. Out-of-towners spur these successes since they don't have memories of what existed before the changeover. Too bad that Cincy appears to be shuffling the same folks around from one place to the other. Winton Terrace also got a nice face-lift not too long ago, but it's still as wild n' crazy as ever. The definition of "insanity" is to do the same thing over and over again and keep hoping for a different outcome.

[Cincy Rider]

They are doing the remodel in phases...so temporary displacement from one section to a finished section within the community.

The way that Fay is situated, is more like on top of a plateau with woods, not even any decent views as it is now. Kind of odd that you can see Fay from I-75 @ 74 but roughly only 5% of Fay has any kind of view.

Totally unrelated but 'Roll Hill' sounds ghetto already, IMO.

[restorationconsultant]

Since we are now in about the 4 or 5th generation of welfare and government housing, I do not know that the "expected outcome" can be for those who push this welfare agenda. We need to be pushing a "job required" housing agenda where resident will be required to work, even if its picking up trash in the park or side of the road.

We have to break the cycle of rewarding more pregnacy with a bigger voucher and a bigger house.

If you read what the Office of Inspector General had to say about how Cincinnati runs its section 8 voucher program (several reports at this site)
OIG Ohio Audit Reports - HUD
You quickly realize that the City of Cincinnati and CMHA push this to get more money to waste and spend on salaries, contractor payouts and kickbacks.

Unfortunately what "should happen" , doesn't, that being that some city officials need to be in jail. Our city is 'addicted' to federal monies to pay salaries of people sitting around doing nothing and keep that big pension plan going.

So they keep coming up with 'new ideas" and padding the city demo list to get more federal money that they can legally skim to pay salaries and pensions. the 'problem' are local government employees who in my opinion should have to live in the apartments they administer although I'd rather see them in jail.

[austiNati]

Originally Posted by restorationconsultant

Since we are now in about the 4 or 5th generation of welfare and government housing, I do not know that the "expected outcome" can be for those who push this welfare agenda. We need to be pushing a "job required" housing agenda where resident will be required to work, even if its picking up trash in the park or side of the road.

^^^

This

[progmac]

Originally Posted by restorationconsultant

Since we are now in about the 4 or 5th generation of welfare and government housing, I do not know that the "expected outcome" can be for those who push this welfare agenda. We need to be pushing a "job required" housing agenda where resident will be required to work, even if its picking up trash in the park or side of the road.

There is a group in over the rhine doing exactly this. The tenants
are expected to do a certain number of chores to keep up the place. Taking out the garbage, weeding the garden, cleaning a common area, etc. The place looks super clean and is very nice, despite all the tenants being very poor and on public housing assistance. If you don't pull your weight, you're out. They have really not had too many problems but I think they have had to kick a few people out (no big deal for them, they have a long waiting list of eligible singles and families) It is a nice model that hopefully will be tried in other parts of the city. I can't remember the name of the non-profit that runs it though.

What I described is funded by our tax dollars. Unfortunately more often we see Fay apartments style public housing with little accountability for the residents. Then again, at least the people aren't out on the streets.

[plexone]

Originally Posted by t45209

So, what does everyone think of the plan to reduce the density of Fay Apartments, oh, excuse me, Roll Hill Apartments? (A rose by any other name...) Is this going to squeeze people and their accompanying problems out of Fay and back into Fairmount, Westwood and Mount Airy?

How do you feel about $36 million being spent on this project?

Personally, I think the whole thing should be bulldozed, but then again that would even displace more people who have to go somewhere.

My daughter just moved to cinncinatti she is in fay apartments she is not used to none of the things that i have read goes on there i am now scared for her safety i have looked up the location and it seems like it would be hard to just get out of that area to get to a job or doctor. Is there any schooling provided by the complex itself ? I can not find out much info about the are except people saying it is one of the most dangerous places to live in cincy. Do they not protect ther residents? I thought housing ran by hud is usally safer. is there any other place she can go to to get low income housing untill she finishes school? she has a 2year old son I want my baby to be safe.

[t45209]

Originally Posted by plexone

My daughter just moved to cinncinatti she is in fay apartments she is not used to none of the things that i have read goes on there i am now scared for her safety i have looked up the location and it seems like it would be hard to just get out of that area to get to a job or doctor. Is there any schooling provided by the complex itself ? I can not find out much info about the are except people saying it is one of the most dangerous places to live in cincy. Do they not protect ther residents? I thought housing ran by hud is usally safer. is there any other place she can go to to get low income housing untill she finishes school? she has a 2year old son I want my baby to be safe.

You should get her out of there. It's the worst in the city.