PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Alan Gerber, Member of Brooklyn Community Board 8
12:08:47
·
91 sec
Alan Gerber, a resident of Crown Heights and member of Brooklyn Community Board 8, testifies in support of the City of Yes proposal. He argues that the current zoning restrictions limit the availability of suitable housing options for changing needs, particularly for aging residents.
- Gerber has lived in a rent-stabilized apartment for 12 years but notes his upstairs neighbor's difficulty with the walk-up building as she ages.
- He cites an example of a 100% affordable housing project limited to five stories due to contextual zoning, despite taller buildings in the vicinity.
- Gerber emphasizes the need for more diverse housing options to accommodate residents' changing needs throughout their lives.
Alan Gerber
12:08:47
I'm Alan Gerber.
12:08:47
I'm a resident of Crown Heights.
12:08:51
So a member of CVA's Environment, Sanitation, and Transportation Committee is a public member, but speaking of my personal capacity.
12:09:01
So I've been a resident of a rent stabilized department in this neighborhood for something like 12 years.
12:09:08
It's been very good as a stable and affordable home for me.
12:09:13
But my upstairs neighbor, it's been a very good up affordable home for her as well, but the buildings will walk up, and she's getting older.
12:09:21
There's down the street a port a 100 percent affordable housing being built on state owned land.
12:09:29
It's five stories tall under so called contextual zoning.
12:09:34
Even though there's a fourteen story building from 50 years ago across the street and a twelve story building from a 100 years ago, a block away.
12:09:45
And because of downzoning's like this, We don't have enough affordable housing for my upstairs neighbor to move to an apartment with an elevator that she would need or that would make her life easier in her age.
12:09:59
And that's true of a lot of people as they go through life.
12:10:03
There's just not homes available that meet their needs.
12:10:07
And so we need to pass city of yes, so we get more housing.
12:10:11
So people can find housing that meets their needs as they go through life.
12:10:16
Thank you.
