Q&A
Discussion on Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) impact on low-income families
3:55:04
·
67 sec
Council Member Cabán questions the effectiveness of the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) in addressing housing needs for the city's lowest-income families. Chair Garodnick responds, explaining the potential impact of UAP and acknowledging the need for additional measures.
- Cabán asks about the likelihood of UAP significantly impacting housing access for the lowest-income families
- Garodnick explains that UAP allows for income averaging, potentially benefiting lower-income households
- The discussion highlights the need for a multi-faceted approach, including subsidy programs, to address the deepest affordability levels
Tiffany Cabán
3:55:04
So given that my my question is, are proposals like UAP really likely to have that significant impact on housing access for the city's lowest income families?
3:55:16
Do we need other measures like an expansion of voucher access to help those families, for example.
Daniel Garodnick
3:55:23
Thank you for that important question.
3:55:25
The short answer is UAP impacts those families because we have income averaging.
3:55:34
So we allow you in this program to go below 60% and above 60%, something which was not present in prior voluntary programs.
3:55:45
I also note that You are correct to observe we need more of all of it.
3:55:51
Each component here is important, but the deepest affordability levels sometimes must be delivered through a subsidy program with HPD.
3:56:01
Mhmm.
3:56:01
We've got the commissioners sitting right next I'm sure he's gonna wanna talk about that.
3:56:04
But the zoning itself is designed to increase the envelope so that we create more opportunities across all levels.
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.
