Red Hook students rally for public housing justice

Students from P.S. 15 in Red Hook were up front Tuesday during a march for public housing rights.

News 12 Staff

Jun 14, 2022, 10:20 PM

Updated 848 days ago

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Students from P.S. 15 in Red Hook were up front Tuesday during a march for public housing rights.
Students, community members and advocates called for a fully funded public housing system in New York City through which residents can have safe and healthy homes.
“We shouldn’t have to do this, it’s not fair, my friends should live in a good house,” said one student at the rally. “If their toilet is broken, it should be fixed fast so them and their families can use it.”
Those at the rally told News 12 that Red Hook tenants of the New York City Housing Authority have been living in conditions that negatively impact their health. Today, they say some of them are living with mold, pests, prolonged gas outages and a myriad of other issues.
“This is great for students, often times as adults we forget these kids have opinions,” said Council Member Alexa Aviles. “And this is important for these kids to voice their feelings and opinions in their own rally.”
In a 2016 survey of Red Hook housing tenants, 23% of residents had at least one member of their family with asthma and 40% had mold in their apartments at the time.
The survey also showed that 94% of residents reported leaks and mold in their apartments in the past.
Red Hook public housing residents are demanding $750 million be invested to fix these issues.