PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Margy Brown, Executive Director of UHAB, on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
5:42:55
·
125 sec
Margy Brown, Executive Director of UHAB, testified in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. She emphasized the importance of increasing housing supply to stabilize communities of color and create homeownership opportunities. Brown argued that the reforms would ensure fair distribution of development across communities and potentially increase affordable cooperatives.
- Brown called for additional measures beyond zoning changes to address the housing crisis
- She recommended increased funding for various housing preservation and affordable homeownership programs
- UHAB's mission focuses on preserving existing housing and helping residents become homeowners in their current buildings
Margy Brown
5:42:55
Good afternoon.
5:42:56
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
5:42:58
My name is Margie Brown, and I'm executive director of Uhab.
5:43:02
For 50 years, Uhab has empowered low and moderate income residents to take control of their housing and become homeowners in the buildings where they already live.
5:43:11
While Uhab's mission is centered on preserving existing housing and helping residents to remain in their homes, we are keenly aware that adding to the city's housing supply is a crucial pillar to stabilize communities of color and bolster homeownership opportunities.
5:43:27
That's why I am here today to support the city of yes for housing opportunity.
5:43:31
City of yes creates more housing and creates it more fairly.
5:43:35
These reforms ensure that communities of color that have historically benefited from I'm sorry.
5:43:42
It these reforms ensure that communities that have historically benefited from zoning restrictions support their fair share of development, easing pressure on historically disinvested communities of color, which are now experiencing rapid gentrification and displacement of long time residents.
5:43:59
What's more?
5:44:00
City of Yes opens up the opportunity to create more affordable cooperatives, a proven source of stability for at risk residents and communities faced with rapid change.
5:44:11
We are also here to say yes and as we boldly create new housing, we need to be just as bold in our plans to preserve our aging housing stock.
5:44:20
Zoning alone cannot ameliorate New York City's dire housing crisis.
5:44:26
We would like to highlight a few measures and initiatives that create more deeply affordable housing, open up affordable homeownership opportunities, protect tenants from displacement and preserve our existing housing stock.
5:44:38
More robust funding to restart the neighborhood pillars program, funding for HPD preservation pipelines like GRPP, TPT, and ANCP, and adequate staffing in those programs to ensure that those pipelines move forward.
5:44:53
More funding for affordable homeownership projects through open door and others will submit a fuller statement.
5:44:59
Thank you.
