The Hall Monitor
The recent withdrawal of the Allyn Family Foundation’s $7 million backing from the Children Rising Center project is yet another failure in the recent troubling history of the Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA). This setback, which leaves a vital initiative for breaking the cycle of generational poverty in limbo, highlights deep systemic problems within SHA’s leadership—problems that have been decades in the making.
SHA’s mandate is to provide safe, affordable housing and foster community. At one time, it succeeded with public housing that former residents recall as places of growth and opportunity. But over the years, a pattern has emerged: grand revitalization plans, enthusiastic public buy-in, and then—disappointment. The Children Rising Center was supposed to be different. It wasn’t just about housing; it was about investing in the future of the East Adams Street Neighborhood. It was supposed to provide educational and social services to support children and families. Instead, it now stands as a symbol of failed leadership and missed opportunities.
The City of Syracuse and Deputy Mayor Owens made their frustration clear, citing SHA’s lack of progress. Mayor Ben Walsh personally expressed concerns over SHA’s inability to manage such an ambitious project. SHA, for its part, denied missing deadlines, but their actions—or lack thereof—speak louder than words. While the Children Rising Center faltered, SHA focused on designing a new headquarters for itself.
This is not the first time SHA has been at the center of a failed urban revitalization effort. Now, as SHA reshapes its 67 acres of prime real estate, it appears to be prioritizing high-income residents and lucrative partnerships, in secret—like the now tabled SUNY School of Optometry—over the community it was meant to serve.
It is time for accountability. SHA’s Board of Directors has failed in its duty to provide oversight. Executive Director William Simmons has had decades to prove that SHA can deliver on its promises. Instead, the pattern of broken commitments continues. This latest failure is not just about a lost opportunity for SHA residents, it’s a failure for the entire city of Syracuse.
If SHA cannot fulfill its mission, then it is time for new leadership that can. Mr. Simmons, it’s time to step down. The people of Syracuse deserve better.
