PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Austin Celestin on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
6:02:15
·
120 sec
Austin Celestin, a lifelong resident of the Upper West Side, speaks in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He acknowledges the housing crisis in New York City and argues that the proposal is a necessary first step towards addressing it.
- Celestin emphasizes that the proposal's ideas have been successfully implemented in other cities.
- He argues that all neighborhoods should contribute to solving the housing crisis, not just certain areas like the South Bronx and Downtown Brooklyn.
- Celestin supports various aspects of the proposal, including legalizing ADUs, allowing churches to use air rights, and promoting higher density development.
Austin Celestin
6:02:15
Can you hear me?
6:02:16
Okay.
6:02:17
It is 9:40 in Hawaii.
6:02:19
So good morning.
6:02:20
My name is Austin Saliston.
6:02:22
I was born and raised on the upper west side.
6:02:24
I've lived here all my life.
6:02:26
This is all my know, and maybe I hope to live my days out here.
6:02:29
I'm privileged to have a loving family that has also been here.
6:02:32
My dad has had as much a llama apartment since 1976.
6:02:35
That's a privilege that I have, and that I'm grateful for, and I recognize it's a privilege that far too few of us in the city have.
6:02:43
Everyone here knows how about our vacancy rates are, meeting rents, homeless population, rent burden, household, build times, approval cost delays.
6:02:49
Everyone knows that.
6:02:50
You don't need to hear me regurgitate that.
6:02:52
Much like I could have filled the CBC's hearing with stories of those close to me hurt by our housing crisis, I could filled this hearing with reasons for my support, but I only have 75 seconds.
6:03:03
I'll be brief.
6:03:04
I spoke to a city of yes because these ideas have precedent and have been successfully implemented in other cities.
6:03:09
Because the South Bronx And Downtown Brooklyn can't solve this crisis alone and we shouldn't be celebrating the downzoning of the Giuliani and Bloomberg Administration.
6:03:17
Because we have a shortage of homes, not parking, because legal ADUs are safe ADUs.
6:03:23
Because the air rights that historic churches have can do wonders for themselves, but also their communities.
6:03:28
Because I'd like to say in Remo on Central Park West, and I think not only would those high density districts make it legal again, but it would get around the concerns about UAP being optional.
6:03:38
Because New Yorkers emissions are the lowest in the country, because our refusal to build housing cost us a congressional seat And lastly, I believe that renters, that landlord should be the ones begging for renters, not the other way around.
6:03:50
And I believe that housing is a human right, but those words are meaningless if we're not building housing.
6:03:56
I will leave with one stat.
6:03:57
I mean, about half a million homes in the next decade, this plan gets us a 108,015.
6:04:02
This plan is a small step, but that's what that's what monumental change needs, the 1st small step.
6:04:09
So I encourage the city council to take that for a small step and vote yes on city.
6:04:14
Yes.
6:04:15
Thank you.
