PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Linda Cohen on City of Yes Housing Proposal
12:49:43
·
119 sec
Linda Cohen addressed two main issues regarding the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal: the availability of vacant apartments and the impact on climate change. She questioned the transparency of numbers related to vacant properties and expressed concerns about the lack of affordability mandates in the new zoning changes. Cohen also raised doubts about the proposal's environmental impact assessment.
- Requested more transparency from City Planning Commission (CPC) about the number of vacant apartments and unused properties
- Criticized the lack of affordability mandates in the proposed zoning changes
- Questioned the FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Statement) conclusion that the plan would have no significant impact on climate change
- Called for input from the DEP commissioner and chief climate officer on the plan's resiliency
Linda Cohen
12:49:43
Hello.
12:49:44
My name is Linda Cohen.
12:49:46
I'd like to speak about 2 issues.
12:49:49
Hello?
Kevin C. Riley
12:49:50
Okay.
Linda Cohen
12:49:51
Can you hear me?
Kevin C. Riley
12:49:52
Yes.
12:49:53
We can hear you, miss Cohen.
Linda Cohen
12:49:55
Okay.
12:49:56
First, I keep hearing today that there are thousands of vacant apartments that are available.
12:50:01
When stabilized apartments that are vacant, boarded up houses that are available, commercial buildings that can also be used for housing, What are the real numbers?
12:50:11
Is CPC being transparent about these numbers?
12:50:14
Is CPC doing something to make these unoccupied apartments readily available for housing?
12:50:20
Why aren't we using what we already have before we disrupt existed neighborhoods?
12:50:26
Chair at Rite Aid.
12:50:27
Please help to provide transparency about the numbers by asking CPC, GCP, to provide more about these numbers.
12:50:35
Also, I understand that this zoning change does not require new buildings to provide a point of help.
12:50:47
I I find that bizarre, and it feels like we are being swindled.
12:50:52
Without mandates for affordability, city of yes will just be helping the real estate industry in the rich.
12:50:58
It will not filter down to those in need.
12:51:01
The second issue that I'd like to bring up is a climate crisis.
12:51:04
We have seen increased destruction and drownings here from climate change, and according to climate scientists, including those from the New York City panel on climate change, there were the increased flooding in the future.
12:51:18
The FEIS, for city of yes, states that there is no significant impact for climate change.
12:51:25
How is it that this plan which will allow us to place concrete over so much permeables base will have no significant effects.
12:51:33
Can we please hear from our DEP commissioner, Agarwal, who is also the city's chief climate officer.
12:51:40
Does he approve of this plan in terms of resiliency?
