PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Pedro Rodriguez, Member of Queens Community Board 6, on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
14:10:26
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116 sec
Pedro Rodriguez, a member of Queens Community Board 6, testified in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He shared his personal experience as an immigrant and first-generation homeowner, emphasizing the urgent need to address New York City's housing crisis. Rodriguez specifically endorsed removing parking minimums and called on the council to approve the proposal.
- Rodriguez highlighted how the housing crisis has forced friends and family to leave NYC
- He acknowledged concerns about parking but argued that removing minimums would make housing more affordable and improve transportation
- Rodriguez stressed the importance of considering future generations' ability to afford living in the city
Pedro Rodriguez
14:10:26
Hi.
14:10:26
Thank you so much for the opportunity.
14:10:28
My name is Pedro Rodriguez, and I have lived in New York City for over 2 decades.
14:10:32
I currently live in Forest Hills Claims.
14:10:34
I have my father, a husband, a Dominican immigrant, and I'm a member of Queen Community Wars 6.
14:10:39
My parents moved here in the nineties, and I came here in 2002 at the age of 12.
14:10:44
I live in section 8.
14:10:45
I live in section 8 in the Bronx until I moved but my parents placed at the 8th at after college.
14:10:52
I was the first member of my family to go to college, which helped me buy a place in 4 sales in 2019, but there's some family couldn't.
14:10:59
And they left New York City in large part because of the housing crisis.
14:11:02
Battles many friends over the years have no current current friends who are considering living because of the housing crisis.
14:11:08
This is something every New Yorker has experienced, even those who oppose more housing.
14:11:13
As a poor as for this reason, as a poor city of yes.
14:11:16
Especially the part of listing parking minimums.
14:11:19
I mean, I get it.
14:11:19
I am a driver myself, so I get the frustration of not finding parking when you need it.
14:11:24
But keeping parking minimums does not help with that.
14:11:27
They increase the number of cars in the city, making traffic worse, and making housing more expensive.
14:11:32
Instead, the city sure increases scalable transportation options such as bus lanes and micro mobility.
14:11:39
I get that current residence, get to vote, switching myself, But let's not forget that we depend on future generations to keep the city going.
14:11:46
My son is eighteen months old right now.
14:11:49
Will he be able to afford to live in the city in 20 plus years?
14:11:52
Or he would still have a housing crisis then?
14:11:56
We cannot continue to say that we are living in the housing crisis and then do nothing about it.
14:12:00
I call on the council to keep the proposal asses to side with the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers who support more housing and to side with president Obama and vice president Harris when they called for the removal of local restrictions on housing construction earlier this year.
14:12:15
That is my statement.
14:12:17
Please vote yes on this critical proposal and good night.
