Taylor Hicks, the 2006 American Idol, will be appearing at the restored St. George Theatre on Staten Island this summer, and Wayne Newton, Air Supply, and others are scheduled for the fall. Just about every square yard on Staten Island’s North is scheduled for development into townhouses and luxury condominiums. Gentrification of the area is in full swing and the question arises, “Where will the poor people go?”

The honest answer from many New Yorkers would be ” Who cares?”

But as the gulf between the rich and the working class widens, the lack of affordable housing is rightly perceived as a major cause. As developers build more expensive dwellings, the city seems to be ceding them valuable land in working class neighborhoods. More and more, I hear murmurs from residents contemplating leaving the city for other states, places where housing and taxes do not sap their entire paycheck. Those who have the luxury of transferable jobs have already vacated the city for more reasonable environs.

My son, who works for FedEx, often reports that co-workers who’ve relocated to Atlanta, Orlando, and other cities have been able to purchase homes for a fraction of the prices available in New York City. I’ve heard the same from friends whose children, who have nursing and other valuable skills, have left for the same reason.

There has been a revival of interest in the idea of turning public housing into private residences. A recent New York Sun editorial titled “Paupers to Millionaires” suggested, “Why not just give the apartments away to the tenants who live there — and instantly make hundreds of thousands of poor New Yorkers into wealthy ones?”

Actually, that’s not such a bad idea. Jack Kemp first broached that concept in 1991 when he was secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Unfortunately, his proposal unsuccessfully battled a huge government bureaucracy. and Mr. Kemp’s home-ownership project went nowhere.

One of the critics of the Sun editorial called the suggestion heartless and accused the writer of not understanding what it’s like to be poor. Well, I am certainly familiar with the bottom rung of the economic ladder. I lived in public housing for 10 years and regarded it as a step up from the rotting tenement of my childhood. Nevertheless, as a teenager, I was embarrassed by my address. As an adult homeowner, however, I marveled at the good fortune of those who lived in a project situated in a good neighborhood. Phipps Housing in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan comes to mind, as does South Beach Housing in Staten Island.

The idea of converting renters into homeowners should also be appealing to those concerned with the environment and energy conservation.

I lived at Waterside Plaza when it was a Mitchell-Lama complex, and my very reasonable rent included all my utility charges. Consequently, I gave no thought to the long hot showers I took or to leaving the air-conditioner going full blast even while I was out.

That all changed when my growing family needed a larger home and we moved to a drafty, 10-room, 19th-century home. The idea of paying for my water was a shock. The cost of heating the place led me to lower the thermostat and wear heavy clothing indoors, European-style. Insulation became all-important, as did turning off lights in empty rooms.

As homeowners also tend to take better care of their property than renters, the idea of transforming the project dwellers to middle-class homeowners is a worthwhile idea, except for one thing: There is a chance that the former paupers will take the money and run off to greener pastures, along with the working class, and the city will be less for it.

Having met individuals from all walks of life, from billionaires to paupers, I’m inclined to find the salt of the earth much more intriguing than those who’ve never had to worry about paying next month’s rent or missing a tuition payment. Their lives are rich in drama and suspense while many, but not all, of the worry-free tend to be vacuous and self-absorbed.

Those who grow up in humbler circumstances tend to be more appreciative of their blessings. They are made of sterner stuff, and we saw much of their bravery in the World Trade Center on September 11.

Without its poor and working class to keep it humble, New York would never have become the great city it is. They’re something city officials need to care about as they continue to tear down their homes.