Emily Klein
3:47:22
Thank you, Chair Riley and members of the committee.
3:47:24
My name is Emily Klein, and I am the AVP for Policy And Government Affairs as the Community Preservation Corporation, a fifty year old nonprofit affordable housing lender with a significant footprint in New York City.
3:47:36
CPC is honored to provide testimony today in support of city of yes for housing opportunity and to urge the sub committee to support These critical zoning are forms.
3:47:45
CityBS would update the city's zoning code to meet our current housing needs and promote more equitable neighborhoods across our city by enabling the construction of a little bit more housing in every neighborhood.
3:47:56
These reforms can create the overall amount of housing the city needs without necessitating dramatic changes in anyone neighborhood.
3:48:03
A common criticism that we've heard of the proposed changes is that they would radically alter the fabric and character of our existing neighborhoods.
3:48:09
It's important to stress that the proposals of city of yes for housing opportunity were crafted specifically to do just the opposite.
3:48:17
Yes, these proposals would enable specific and targeted changes and what type of development is permitted in each neighborhood, but these changes are small by design.
3:48:26
In low density neighborhood, this would look like adding 2 to 4 stories of housing above existing ground floor commercial and town centers, or 3 to 5 story apartment buildings within a half mile of transit stations, where 1 to 3 story development is already common.
3:48:40
In medium and high density districts, city of yes would introduce universal affordability preference, which would allow buildings to add 20% more units if permanently affordable.
3:48:49
For example, a 40 unit building in a medium density district, this would mean adding 8 more units and likely going from 8 stories to 10 stories, a change of scale well within the existing neighborhood character.
3:49:01
These common sense forms fit existing neighborhood conditions and specifically avoid changes that would bring out and scale development to New York City Neighborhoods.
3:49:09
City of Jasper Housing Opportunity offers a once in a generation chance to modernize our regulations, comprehensively address our housing shortage, and build a city that meets all of its residents' needs.
3:49:19
On behalf of CDC, we applaud the Department of City Planning and support this reform and urge the sub committee to support it.