PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ariana S., Brooklyn Resident and Engineer
13:05:50
·
121 sec
Ariana S., a 30-year-old Brooklyn native and engineer, testified in opposition to the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, particularly regarding transit-oriented housing, voluntary UAP, and removing parking mandates. She argued that the plan focuses on increasing housing volume rather than true affordability, and that it would not effectively address New York City's housing crisis.
- Ariana contended that increasing housing volume does not necessarily decrease costs in New York City, citing examples of new developments leading to increased living costs in various neighborhoods.
- She expressed concern about the definition of "affordable" housing, noting that even as a young professional with above-average income, she struggles to afford some of the city's designated affordable units.
- Ariana suggested redefining the area used for Area Median Income (AMI) calculations and consulting with existing communities to develop more effective affordable housing solutions.
Ariana S.
13:05:50
Okay.
13:05:50
Hi.
13:05:50
My name is Ariana.
13:05:51
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and I've lived here most of my 30 years.
13:05:55
I work as an engineer with existing buildings and adaptive reuse buildings.
13:06:02
I oppose this specifically transit oriented housing, voluntary UAP, and removing parking mandates.
13:06:08
I agree that we need more affordable housing in New York City, but this plan is a volume plan, not an affordability plan based on the misconception.
13:06:17
That increase in the volume of housing will decrease the cost of housing, which has consistently shown to be true in New York.
13:06:23
This theory will not work in New York as it never has, and demand to live in New York will never plateau.
13:06:29
So these units will be luxury market rate units as they have been for the past 10 years, the bulk of the new construction.
13:06:37
In most neighborhoods in this city, new development has consistently led to skyrocketing of the cost of living, including my neighborhood, where new units are almost a 100% more than the existing units owned by families and individual owners, not development companies.
13:06:59
Yeah.
13:06:59
And people in my neighborhood spend hours looking for parking.
13:07:02
Parking spaces are going on sale for 90 $1000.
13:07:04
These are the things that are happening in specific neighborhoods that we're not addressing and overlooking here.
13:07:10
And as a young person who makes more than the national average, I can't even afford some of the affordable units in this cities.
13:07:17
So I think what we need to do is look at what we're defining as affordable, redefine the area that we use for AMI, and consult with existing communities to see how we can actually bring affordable housing into the city and not just bring what developers in a corrupt administration would like to push forward as well as people who have come on and, you know, with scripted responses.
13:07:39
But yeah.
13:07:40
So that's my take.
13:07:41
I don't think that this has ever been the case in New York.
13:07:44
Areas like Williamsburg, Long Island City, and Crown Heights, Wilson.
UNKNOWN
13:07:48
Thank you.
13:07:48
Your time's expired.
Ariana S.
13:07:49
Thank you.
13:07:50
Good night.
