Amazon could make it harder for people to find affordable homes in New York and Virginia
Amazon offices will stand where there would have been affordable housing.
CASEY QUINLAN
NOV 16, 2018, 2:05 PM
Amazon’s decision to place its new offices in New York City and Northern Virginia will likely have an effect on the affordability of homes in the area, pricing many working class families out of these areas.
On Tuesday, Amazon said its second headquarters would be located in Long Island City, which is in Queens, New York, and Crystal City, which is a part of Arlington, Virginia.
For its offices, Amazon chose two New York sites that were supposed to be residential development for middle and low-income people, and now most of those intended affordable housing units will be part of the company’s offices instead, according to Politico. Plaxall, which was going to ask to build the new homes, may still be able to use about two acres for housing, but hasn’t decided if it will yet. In any case, about 1,500 units of affordable housing will likely no longer be available.
New York City Economic Development Corporation spokesperson Stephanie Baez defended the Amazon deal and said to Politico, “Tackling the affordability crisis means building more affordable housing — but it also means creating more good-paying jobs. Development of commercial office space around Anable Basin will offset concerns about residential overdevelopment that have been expressed by some community residents.”
Amazon is expected to receive $1.7 billion in public subsidies and $500 million in capital grants from New York City and New York state. According to Curbed NY, Amazon’s initial investment in workforce development is $15 million, or less than 1 percent of the overall public subsidy.
https://thinkprogress.org/amazon-exacerbate-afforodable-housing-new-york-virginia-2f6a78e02eba/
Can Democracy Survive Global Capitalism.............Robert Kutter.................not when you have a fucking hedge fund manager................getting tax breaks to basically fuck people over, and who is the richest person in the world with a total worth of 360 billion dollars.....................what the fuck is wrong with this picture.................dog eat fucking dog world..................
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Arlington, the new San Francisco?
