Q&A
Discussion on city's lawsuit against housing voucher expansion
3:56:12
·
146 sec
Council Member Cabán questions the administration's stance on housing affordability in light of a lawsuit blocking the expansion of housing vouchers. Commissioner Carrión responds, highlighting current efforts in affordable housing but unable to comment directly on the lawsuit.
- Cabán points out the apparent contradiction between the administration's stated goals and its actions regarding voucher expansion
- Commissioner Carrión declines to comment on the lawsuit but emphasizes HPD's focus on extremely low to low-income households in their housing finance efforts
- The discussion reveals tension between the city's housing policies and its legal actions regarding voucher programs
Tiffany Cabán
3:56:12
And and before you add to that, I I think, you know, just making the point that your your testimony is saying like, hey, we acknowledge the fact that there are some folks that are at that low of an income level that really the only way to capture these folks is through government subsidy programs like a voucher system, right, if we're going to make sure we're housing every New Yorker.
3:56:34
And so in answering, in what you're going to add, I want to pose this question to you then, of what can we make of the fact that this administration claims to care about housing affordability but then launches a lawsuit to to block the expansion of housing vouchers for the most vulnerable people in the city via city Vebs.
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
3:56:51
So thank you, council member.
3:56:53
I think it's important to note that Well, we all agree that there's a housing emergency.
3:57:01
Mhmm.
Tiffany Cabán
3:57:02
And we apparently agree that this plan doesn't do it all, and there are folks that are are so low in terms of income that they actually it does necessitate agent subsidies like and rental systems like like city peps.
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
3:57:16
Yes.
3:57:16
It does.
Tiffany Cabán
3:57:16
So so just the specific question is then why why are we challenging this and why aren't we embracing expanding access to city peps so that we're not leaving certain New Yorkers behind.
Gale A. Brewer
3:57:28
The
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
3:57:30
I'm not gonna I'm I'm not able to answer the question about anything related to a lawsuit.
Kamillah Hanks
3:57:37
Nope.
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
3:57:38
But I will say I will say, yeah, I'm not the right person to answer this.
3:57:41
But what I will say is that more than 90% of the housing that we put subsidy in and we finance goes to extremely low income households, low income households, very low income households.
3:57:58
70% of all housing that we finance goes to New Yorkers earning less than 50% of AMI.
3:58:05
And then as has been stated, we are supportive of expanding and fighting to expand more section 8 vouchers to put them in the hands of of renters that are between 0 30% of AM.
Tiffany Cabán
3:58:23
And what about that?
3:58:24
Which
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
3:58:24
is a real need.
3:58:25
And and we have an active FEPS highly subscribed program as well.
Tiffany Cabán
3:58:30
But you're not expanding it.
3:58:32
Can I may I ask just one last question, Jared?
3:58:34
Yes.
3:58:34
Thank you.
3:58:35
I'm I'm gonna move over.
3:58:36
I think I've made my point.
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
3:58:37
Yes, you have.
Tiffany Cabán
3:58:38
Clear.
