Open Letter to Governor Cuomo, Cristie and Mayor Bloomberg: Move the Victims of Hurricane Sandy into the Condo Buildings that are Still Standing Vacant

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson URGENT MEMO: From: "gloria dulan-wilson" View contact details To: "Governor Andrew M. Cuomo" Dear Governor Cuomo: I, first of all, want to express my appreciation for your office and you keeping us abreast of the devastation and rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Secondly, I totally appreciate your stance with the utilty companies in terms of a speedy recovery of the electricity and power to those families that have been wrecked by the hurricane. However, I think it safe to say, unless New York is going to use quality prefabricated homes,to replace the ones destroyed; or unless you are going to bring in Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover to coordinate the rebuilding efforts, it will be months -years? - before New Yorkers are restored to their homes. So, I have a suggestion: Prior to his exiting the office as governor, David Patterson, with the help of soon-to-be Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries, had passed a law entitled Project Reclaim. It was directed at reclaiming the overbuilt, and very vacant, condominium buildings in the New York area, and making it possible for those who needed, decent affordable homes, to move in at a considerable discount. Many of these buildings - there were 66 in Brooklyn at the time, and several in the Bronx, Manhattan and other areas - had either not been sold, because they were overpriced, or the because the builder ran out of money. I think this is the most opportune time to get those families out of shelters and move them into those high rise condominiums. Not homeless shelters, or red cross centers, but some where where they can continue to live, breathe and recover from the horror and the trauma they've experienced as the result of a phenomenon they neither controlled, nor had any power over. I am emailing this to you, as well as State Housing Commissioner Darryl Towns, as well as Governor Chris Christie - who likewise has a significant number of properties in New Jersey that might have to serve as either transitional or permanent homes for the victims there as well. I am also posting it on my blog, because it may not reach you directly, depending on who handles your correspondence. Unlike the victims of Katrina, who were shipped from pillar to post because of the devastation of New Orleans, this will, I believe, be a viable alternative to long drawn out processes. Again, I appreciate your keeping me informed, and hope that this recommendation is not only accepted, but put into action, immediately, if not sooner. Stay Blessed, Gloria Dulan-Wilson --- On Tue, 10/30/12, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo wrote: