Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
0:17:07
Thank you, madam speaker and chair Eileen.
0:17:11
And thank you, our chair Riley, for our chairing.
0:17:14
This extremely important hearing today.
0:17:16
To put it simply, yes, we are in the housing crisis.
0:17:20
Yes, we need more housing.
0:17:22
But how we build more housing must be responsive to the needs or of our diverse neighborhoods.
0:17:28
Just because 2 neighborhoods share the same zoning, it does not mean they are the same.
0:17:34
Let's take the proposed parking reform, for example.
0:17:38
Public transit Mobility and access to services are simply not the same in the south Bronx compared to many parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
0:17:46
These neighborhoods share much of the same zoning as well as accessibility to the subway system.
0:17:52
But getting around the South Bronx without a car is difficult unless you are commuting into Manhattan.
0:17:58
That is the reality of my constituents.
0:18:00
I also want to emphasize two points that chair Riley made about the needs of our existing residents.
0:18:06
The city, like the market, has consistently under invested in the Bronx.
0:18:12
As a result, our streets flood regularly, and many of our playgrounds are rusting away.
0:18:18
If you're going to build in the Bronx, you need to invest in the Bronx.
0:18:22
That means that the administration's fixing our sewers, increasing the funds available for our parks, and fixing our streets.
0:18:30
The Bronx also needs more affordable homeownership opportunities.
0:18:34
Increasing the amount of new market rate rental housing will now solve on its own the problems that my constituents are facing.
0:18:42
The Bronx has been a place for families with modest incomes to buy a a house or an apartment and create a secure home for generations to come.
0:18:51
That is no longer the case because my constituents cannot afford to buy and oftentimes rent in the Bronx.
0:18:58
We have to change this.
0:18:59
We must increase affordable homeownership opportunities for existing residents.
0:19:05
Lastly, I want to address a common misconception that this proposal will change the zoning of commercial and manufacturing districts.
0:19:13
We will confirm today that is not the case, except for the convergence of vacant office spaces to residential use.
0:19:22
Let's build more housing throughout the city, but let's make sure we are building housing that addresses the actual needs of neighborhoods.
