REMARKS
Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez Opens Public Hearing on the 2023 Housing and Vacancy Survey
0:00:43
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4 min
Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings, initiates the public hearing on the 2023 Housing and Vacancy Survey, emphasizing the urgency of addressing New York City's housing crisis.
- Sanchez highlights the pivotal role of rent regulation, established in 1969, as a response to the housing shortage, and its importance in protecting roughly 1 million renter households.
- She outlines the necessity of evaluating the housing vacancy survey to renew rent regulations, with the laws set to expire on April 1, 2024.
- The committee is to review findings showing a vacancy rate of 1.4%, indicating a severe housing crisis exacerbated by issues like rising evictions and record homelessness.
- Sanchez announces the agenda, including an overview of survey findings, consideration of one bill, and a resolution to continue rent stabilization laws and rent control.
- Appreciation is expressed towards her team and the committee staff for their preparation and participation in the hearing.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
0:00:43
Good morning.
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I'm council member, Petina Sanchez, Chair of the Committee on Housing And Buildings, and I want to thank you all for joining today's hearing on the 2023 housing and vacancy survey.
0:00:52
Wanna welcome council member Alexa Vilas from the housing committee, and it's just the 2 of us.
0:00:59
Yeah.
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Many of my colleagues are downstairs.
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In New York City, roughly 1,000,000 renter households have been protected by rent regulation for decades.
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Guaranteeing them a right to lease renewal, regulating their rental increases from lease to lease as voted on by a rent guidelines board and protecting them from frivolous evictions.
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Established in 1969, rent regulation has become a feature of the New York City of New York City housing policy.
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As a critical part, of the response to the city's ongoing housing crises.
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The rental protections provided by rent regulations have been a key pillar of 3 that must move forward in order for the city to progress against the housing crisis.
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We must increase housing supply with tax expenditures, in my opinion, solving for the deepest need We must strengthen tenant protections, and we we must expand income supports to aid New Yorkers in affording their homes.
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We gather today because the laws is establishing rent regulation in the city are subject to renewal every few years.
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In order to renew rent regulation, the city council must evaluate the results of the housing vacancy survey and pass a resolution finding that if there is if because there is still a housing shortage, defined in state statute as a vacancy rate below 5%, there is then a continuing need for rent regulation.
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The council must also pass and the mayor must sign a local law updating the expiration date for rent regulation.
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The rent laws are currently set to expire on April 1, 2024.
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In order to determine whether there is a housing shortage, the city relies on the housing vacancy survey or HVS, conducted by the Department of housing preservation and development, and the US Census Bureau every 3 years.
0:02:43
The committee will hear from the department of housing preservation and development today on the findings of the 2023 HBS, which this year highlight a vacancy rate of 1.4%, which represents the lowest vacancy rate in 56 years.
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This low rate highlights that our city's intersecting crises of rising evictions, record homelessness, and housing affordability are only worsening.
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The vacancy rate is even more dire for those units with the lowest rents.
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Units renting for less than $1100 per month had an availability of 0.39 and units renting for $1100 to $1600, $1649 had an availability rate of 0.91.
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The HBS also found a crippling reality for the lowest income New Yorkers.
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86% of households earning less than 25 $1000 per year, the median worker in my district was severely run burdened.
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Now more than ever, we must continue working to ensure that city's housing shortage is addressed, paying special attention to our lowest income New Yorkers who have extremely limited housing options.
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Today, we will hear an overview of the HTS findings, and we will hear one bill and run one resolution both sponsored by me.
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1, in relation to the continuation of rent stabilization laws of 1969.
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And second, the resolution determining that a public emergency requiring rent control in the city of New York continues to exist and will continue to exist on or after April 1 2024.
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To better understand the survey results, I will also be asking the department to expound upon several findings, including trends and median tenant incomes increasing by $20,000 since the last HBS.
0:04:32
And demographic data showing that a couple of things, New York City still has several 100,000 residents less than we did prior to the pandemic.
0:04:40
We have more units online and a higher vacancy rate.
0:04:44
So how does how does the department explain these numbers?
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I would like to thank my chief of staff and my entire team, Sam Cardanas, Kadim Robinson, Gerard Fernandez, Adrian, Magalimendez, Maria Bialobos, in Paola Olivo from my district team.
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I'd also like to thank the Housing And Buildings Committee staff, Taylor Zeleney, Austin Maloney.
0:05:06
Welcome for planning your first hearing today, Jose Konde, Andrew Bourne, Dan Crew, Risi Rota, for their help in preparing for this hearing today.
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I would also like to thank my colleagues on the committee for joining.
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Now I will turn it over to the committee council to administer the oath.
