Dear Editor:
As a former Commissioner for 25 years and Chairman for close to 10 years for the Housing Authority here in my town — yes, My Town, Hoboken, so much of my life was filled with concern for the living conditions of our people here in Hoboken.
I lived through it all, the good and sometimes the bad. The plight of our citizens, especially the needy, the sick and the aged, was always a first priority where I was concerned.
My life’s blood was in the grounds on which the "Projects" were built. Yes! Ten years prior to its erection, like so many others, I played all sorts of games on the dirt, rock and glass ball parks we made for ourselves.
"Home" to many of us, looking back, brings to mind extreme hardship, remembering so much of what we did not have in comparison to what is available today. But it was our home, and our families made the best of what we had, and we all survived!
Not wanting to go into detail, the problem we face today is the constant changing of Commissioners — those appointed, those resigning, those replaced — so many of them serving for such short terms and with no continuity, is really a troubling matter. I wonder how any of these people could truly want to be a Commissioner, and not have his or her heart in it; not to have in mind the best interest of the people and the needs and wants for better housing and living conditions for Hoboken families.
This constant changing of Commissioners is ridiculous and counterproductive.
My sole purpose in all my years as a Commissioner, like so many other with whom I spent years working together, was to see that the Hoboken people in need had better housing facilities than we had in the past.
I grew up, like many others of my generation, in cold water flats, sharing the toilet (as it was called), many in the hallways; kerosene lamps were our lighting systems; freezing winters with only wood and coal stoves to keep us warm. Yet we survived!
The changing of Commissioners and Executive Directors of the Hoboken Housing Authority were very few. We had people working together for a significant amount of years, in harmony and with little discord, as past records prove.
Today with so much more to offer our families, there is much friction amongst the people and the controlling board of the Hoboken Housing Authority, and no one is being served. It is easier to focus on the families, their needs, their comforts and their safety when the controlling board can work together and in harmony with the families as a force of love to help one another and not like a regimental military camp.
The voice of the people should be heard and has much to do with the ways and means to satisfy, however possible, by listening to all suggestions while enforcing the rules and regulations that the leases provide.
I hope this message will get to those responsible for voting any named Commissioners, to do so in a force of true effort with the Executive Director to lead them in a more efficient manner.
Hopefully once again the "Projects" with the help of a dedicated and committed Hoboken Housing Authority, can be looked upon as a desirable neighborhood for a family to live, play and shop, instead of one that is "avoided" in any way whatsoever.
As a former sincere Commissioner, I am still concerned about how we live, and hope we can continue to move forward in a more productive way, providing better homes and living conditions for our Projects.
As always, thank you for reading this!
Orlando Addeo