PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Juan Rivero, Representative of Village Preservation
11:57:23
·
124 sec
Juan Rivero, representing Village Preservation, strongly opposes multiple provisions in the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He argues that the plan's approach of building more market-rate housing will not solve the city's housing problems and may actually encourage the loss of existing affordable housing.
- Rivero contends that New York City already builds more expensive housing than any other city in the country, and current zoning allows for significant additional residential development.
- He emphasizes that the issue is not a lack of housing construction, but rather the type of housing being built - expensive units that few New Yorkers can afford.
- Rivero criticizes the city's track record on predicting the impacts of rezoning, especially regarding housing production and affordability, urging the council not to trust the city's figures for this proposal.
Juan Rivero
11:57:23
Good evening.
11:57:24
I'm testifying on behalf of village preservation, a community organization working in British village, East village, and know home.
11:57:31
We strongly oppose multiple provisions in city of Jasper Housing Opportunity.
11:57:35
This mine is based on the notion that built linked more up on a former housing will have a trickle down effect on the entire housing market and benefit everyone.
11:57:46
This is doubling down on the failed policies of the past and a misguided approach that posits that deregulation and a bill, baby, bill approach will solve our problems.
11:57:55
It will not.
11:57:56
Currently, New York City builds more expensive housing than any city in the country, and our existing zoning allows for hundreds of millions of additional square feet of residential development, which could accommodate millivants of more households.
11:58:09
The problem isn't that we're not building enough housing.
11:58:12
Housing construction in New York City has actually outpaced population growth.
11:58:16
The problem is we're building the wrong kind of housing.
11:58:19
Expense expensive housing that too few New York can afford.
11:58:22
And in the process, we're actually encouraging the loss of affordable housing we do have by incentivizing the demolition of existing older buildings that contain affordable units.
11:58:33
And don't just take my word for it, look at the numerous studies done across the country on this topic and look at our own city or areas with the most new housing construction also see the most displacement and steepest increases in housing prices The other thing you should not do is trust the city's figures on this or on any other zoning proposal.
11:58:54
City of Yes is promised on the expectation that a copious amount of housing will be produced and much of it affordable.
11:59:01
But look at the city track record on predictions of impacts of its rezoning, especially as it relates to housing.
11:59:07
They are consistently widely inaccurate offering rosy predictions of what their plans will do that never approach reality.
11:59:15
Don't continue to make the same mistakes that each city council and administration before you has New Yorkers deserve better than that and better than this plan.
11:59:24
Thank you.
Kevin C. Riley
11:59:27
Thank you.
11:59:27
Next, we'll hear from Joanne Sullivan.
