Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Broke City Agency Mulling Ads On Public Housing
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 22, 2011
Modified Sep 22, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
original image from EricaJoy's flickr
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 22, 2011
Modified Sep 22, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
As has been made pretty clear by now, there isn't much money in the government's coffers these days. Which means that the city is getting creative with the ways it raises cash-and that is why the New York City Housing Authority is currently exploring the pretty audacious move of putting advertisements on the 334 developments it runs across the city. You'll be shocked (shocked!) to know that not all NYCHA residents are thrilled at this prospect!
"This is where we live, we shouldn't have to see that stuff here," 50-year-old Edwin Jackson, who lives in the Gowanus Houses in Boerum Hill, told the News. More than just the advertising, folks are worried about just what kind of advertising this move could bring. "Advertising always follows geography and demographics," Aurora Wallace, NYU professor of media studies, said. "Look at low-income neighborhoods already: There is a real concentration of distinctly 'not good for you' products being advertised. Tiffany's, let's say, probably isn't going to be interested in advertising there."
And that's true—it is unlikely that you are going to see luxury car advertisements on public housing anytime soon (unless they are by a major thoroughfare). But the idea shouldn't be written off just because people don't like the theoretical ads that might go up. New York City already has a tremendous amount of visual pollution (hello CEMUSA!) and there is a good reason for it: ads make money. The blowback, considering how tricky getting this idea to move forward is going to be politically, would just be too much. Which is why the NYCHA, before selling any ad space, is working with residents on guidelines for what kinds of ads it will and will not accept. And anyway, it is highly unlikely that the NYCHA is going to let inappropriate ads start showing up if they follow through with the project.
Tagged
advertising
new york city housing authority
nycha
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .