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TESTIMONY
Adam Roberts, Policy Director of the Community Housing Improvement Program, on the Impact of Proposed Legislation on Security for Rent Stabilized Housing
2:54:15
ยท
140 sec
Roberts argues the proposed legislation would be detrimental to security and affordability of rent stabilized housing.
- He states the bill is punitive to tenants and workers in rent stabilized housing.
- Rent stabilized buildings lack financial resources to hire full-time doormen.
- The bill broadly bans technology to establish individual identity like virtual doorman systems.
- This would deprive rent stabilized tenants and workers of affordable security measures.
Adam Roberts
2:54:15
Thank you for holding this hearing today.
2:54:17
I am Adam Roberts, policy director for the community housing improvement program, also known as Chip.
2:54:23
We represent New York's housing providers, including apartment building owners and managers, Our members operate rent stabilized housing, which contains 1,000,000 units of housing in New York City, making up 40% of its rental housing and the vast majority of its affordable housing.
2:54:39
Entro 425 is punitive to tenants who live and rent stabilized housing, as well as workers, including our members who operate rent stabilized housing.
2:54:48
Rent stabilized buildings generally do not have the financial resources to hire full time doorman.
2:54:53
Even so, affordable housing must also be safe housing.
2:54:57
This is particularly notable as rent stabilized housing is in the midst of a major financial crisis.
2:55:02
Across the city, net operating income is in a free fall, dropping as much as 20% in the Bronx year over year.
2:55:09
The largest lender to rent stabilized housing, Signature Bank, collapse last year, and the now largest lender, New York Community Bank, has been saved by collapse by Trump's former treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, who is threatened to foreclose on members in mass.
2:55:22
Okay.
2:55:23
The affordability rent stabilized housing provides is entirely unsubsidized by the government.
2:55:28
The meets rent stabilized housing does not have the operating revenue to cover basic expenses, let alone hire full time doorman.
2:55:35
Even if the financial crisis were to end, Many buildings are too small to ever financially support full time doorman.
2:55:42
Therefore, rent stabilized tenants and workers rely on more affordable security systems such as virtual doorman and CCTV systems to ensure their buildings are secure.
2:55:51
In the future, they likely will use biometric identifiers like fingers, voice IRuses and facial recognition.
2:55:58
They too are more affordable than full time doorman.
2:56:01
This bill is so broadly written that it bans any technology which can be used to establish individual identity.
2:56:07
Every security system from virtual doorman systems to fingerprint scanners will be illegal.
2:56:12
Technologies which established individual identity have been used for decades to ensure safety in buildings with slack full time doorman.
2:56:20
We cannot imagine how tenants and workers will react to seeing CCTV and virtual doorman systems removed because of the spill.
2:56:27
If the council passes this bill, it will be depriving rent stabilized tenants and workers, the safety which wealthy New Yorkers enjoy in their homes.
2:56:33
Again, thank you for holding the steering today.