GOOD OLD LOWER EAST SIDE, INC

169/171 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009

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(212) 358-1231 / (212) 533-2541

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(212) 358-1241

New York City Housing Authority

Ricardo Morales Elias – Chairman250 Broadway New York, NY 10007

CC:

Rosie Mendez, City Council Member Chair of City Council Public Housing Sub Committee

Name (Print)AddressSignature1.

2.3.4.5.6.7.Petition against the New York City Housing Authority’s Pet Policy

Dear Chairman Morales, We, the Undersigned, oppose the manner in which NYCHA’s amendment to the Pet Policy wasimplemented. We oppose arbitrary and condescending rules against particular breeds. We oppose weightrestrictions on dogs. These types of regulations unfairly discriminate against responsible dog owners whoreside in NYCHA and serve only to brand public housing residents and their pets as vicious and out of control.Additionally, the manner in which residents were notified was sub par in even the most generousassessment. Mail notification did not occur in many developments; NYCHA’s newsletter

Journal

onlyannounced the policy change on the 11

page of its April issue; and most distressingly, the sparsenotification that did exist was only distributed in English. Spanish and Chinese-speaking residents, amongothers, could not read the notice announcing the policy change—let alone follow it.To rectify these problems we feel like your offices need to:

Extend the May 1

deadline to May 1

, 2010.2-Revoke the bans on specific dog breeds.

Conduct a full Authority review of the pet policy with participation of NYCHA tenants who are petowners. We must create a real solution to the issues that having pets bring to the public housingcommunity.

Halt any and all evictions in association with the pet policy.5-At the Town Hall and final presentation of the Draft Annual Plan, solicit resident suggestions on amore rational pet policy. These suggestions should be the basis of the final pet policy to beimplemented on May 1, 2010.

Sincerely,The Undersigned