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Council Member Brooks-Powers discusses homeownership legislation and Ocean Crest rezoning
0:38:06
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3 min
Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers expresses excitement about passing Introduction 384-A to create an Office of the Homeowner Advocate and discusses the Ocean Crest rezoning project in her district. She emphasizes the importance of investing in homeownership, especially for low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
- Brooks-Powers highlights the benefits of the Ocean Crest rezoning, including 100% affordable homeownership and commitments to local hiring and MWBE utilization.
- She acknowledges various partners and supporters, including elected officials, community members, and city agencies.
- The council member connects these initiatives to addressing the decline of New York City's Black population and making homeownership more accessible.
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:38:06
Thank you.
0:38:06
I am so excited today that we will pass a bill of crucial importance to my community and to communities all across the city, introduction three eighty four, which would create an office of the homeowner advocate.
0:38:21
We need to invest in homeownership such that when New Yorkers in low income neighborhoods and communities of color buy a home, they know the city has their back.
0:38:32
That's why I'm proud to cosponsor this legislation, which would create the office of homeowner advocate within HPD to provide support to homeowners alongside nonprofits that are currently providing services to homeowners.
0:38:47
It would also help connect homeowners to access resources and create public awareness campaigns about the rights and responsibilities of homeowners.
0:38:57
Special shout out to the original prime sponsor, former council member, iDonique Miller.
0:39:02
We will also vote through a land use item in my district, the Ocean Crest rezoning, which will result in a 100% affordable homeownership project in my district.
0:39:16
I wanna express my appreciation to Jesse Batis of the community builders and the team at Nehemiah for their partnership and for rising to the call for affordable homeownership.
0:39:29
Together, we have made a number of commitments on this historic project that will benefit the community including 50% hiring from community board fourteen, thirty five percent MWBE utilization, a mutually agreed upon labor monitor, targeted outreach to NYCHA residents to provide them with homeownership opportunities, infrastructure investments, and a commitment to engage with the labor work to explore workforce opportunities.
0:39:58
I thank speaker Adrian Adams and her chief of staff Jeremy John for their leadership and guidance throughout this process.
0:40:04
I also thank the Landruz staff and everyone at central staff who worked on this as I am ever grateful to my local elected partners, including congressman Gregory Meeks, senator James Sanders, assembly member Khalil Anderson, borough president Donovan Richards.
0:40:21
I thank the administration, including deputy mayor, Torres Springer, chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis Martin, chief of staff, Camille Varlak, and the staff at HPD.
0:40:31
Thank you as well to our state partners, the governor's staff, including station Stacy Lynch, Karen Kiogh, and the staff at HCR, and especially speaker Carahisi for his commitment to homeownership and recognizing the need.
0:40:45
I'm always thankful for my community and its members from the community board to local civic organizations to everyday residents.
0:40:53
That is who sent me to city hall, and that is who I fight for when I walk through these doors of city hall each day.
0:40:59
I wanna close by recognizing the city's black population has declined by nearly 200,000 people in the past two decades.
0:41:08
So many of the these New Yorkers, low income New Yorkers and New Yorkers of color are being priced out of the city.
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Legislation like this and projects like Ocean Crest will help ensure more of these New Yorkers have the ability to stay and the the stability most of all to stay.
0:41:26
I look forward to working with the administration to expand resources for homeowners and communities like mine and making the American dream more accessible here in New York City.
0:41:36
Thank you.
0:41:36
And I'd like to disclose I'm a member of Queen's Alumni Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
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0:41:41
That's
Selvena Brooks-Powers
0:41:41
why.
0:41:42
And congratulations to all my colleagues passing the bill today.
0:41:46
Thank you.