Jamie Rubin’s bluntness about the crisis in NYCHA was very refreshing (in regards to how politicians normally surgarcoat the truth). It was scary how close our system is to failing, but I was thankful he was honest. What was clear is that the housing crisis is not going away anytime soon, and it will take dedicated years of work to fix. The city will need time to dig itself out of this hole. 

The federal government is not a reliable source for these funds, as NYCHA has a history of being underfunded, and the new administration is not going to give them the money they need. Jamie Rubin was talking about private solutions, and using the private sector to rebuild these houses. I understand the critics who are worried about the influence of the private sector in public housing, but I can not think of any other way to rebuild these housing projects. 

Are there any solutions besides government investment (which probably won’t happen) and private sector projects (which are happening slowly)? What does the future look like for NYCHA? 

I was impressed by the variety of careers Jamie Rubin had. One thing I have learned from the speakers is how they have had many different jobs. Rubin worked on Sandy relief, finance, and more. You learn different skills from each of your jobs, and you can put it to use in the future.