PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Luke Lavanway on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
8:05:28
·
122 sec
Luke Lavanway, an 11-year resident of New York City living in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, testified in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He addressed council members feeling pressure from constituents who object to the initiative, offering three main points to consider.
- Emphasized the importance of communicating that everyone, including homeowners, has an interest in a healthy housing market
- Argued that council members' jobs will become harder if they fail to act on the housing crisis, as New Yorkers are becoming more aware of the causes of housing supply shortages
- Described City of Yes as a moderate step to address the housing crisis, potentially not doing enough, and urged the city council to approve it in its entirety
Luke Lavanway
8:05:28
Good evening.
8:05:29
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
8:05:31
Thank you for being here.
8:05:33
My name is Luke Lavanway.
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I'm an 11 year resident of New York City, and I currently live in Fort Green on the Edge of Downtown Brooklyn, which is one of the neighborhoods currently doing the most.
8:05:43
To help the city meet its housing needs.
8:05:46
I'd like to address my testimony to council members who feel pressure from constituents, who object to city of yes, and there are three points I'd like to offer.
8:05:55
Firstly, I think we should do more to communicate the truth that everyone, even homeowners, has an interest in a healthy housing market.
8:06:03
Everyone should want reasonable, stable growth in home values, not skyrocketing costs, which threatened to upset the entire Apple Card of our city.
8:06:13
Rinters and homeowners alike have a lot to lose from the destabilizing influence the housing crisis is having on our city.
8:06:21
We truly are all in this together and that is why every neighbor hood is being asked to do its part to add to
Darrick Borowski
8:06:27
the housing
Luke Lavanway
8:06:27
supply.
8:06:29
Secondly, I believe that your job as council members will get harder.
8:06:33
For every day, we fail to act on the housing crisis.
8:06:37
With each passing day, I see New Yorkers learning about the causes of our lack of housing supply, many of which we have seen on display in this very hearing.
8:06:48
We are watching to see which of our elected representatives are working toward real housing solutions and which are not.
8:06:56
And crucially, we understand that there will never be a perfect housing policy and that urgent action is required.
8:07:04
Thirdly, city of yes for housing opportunity is truly a moderate step to address the housing crisis.
8:07:09
In fact, it arguably doesn't do enough.
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The slogan of this initiative is a little more housing in every neighborhood.
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No neighborhood can object in good conscience to doing a little more to help our city address its housing needs.
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To conclude, I urged the city council to approve city of yes in its entirety.
8:07:27
New Yorkers deserve abundant housing.
8:07:29
Thank you.
