PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rachel Simpson, Architect specializing in affordable housing
5:40:49
·
119 sec
Rachel Simpson, an architect specializing in affordable housing, testifies in support of zoning changes in the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, focusing on the removal of minimum parking requirements for new housing. She argues that parking mandates increase housing costs and can lead to underdevelopment of housing units.
- Simpson emphasizes that removing parking requirements doesn't eliminate the ability to build parking, but provides flexibility to meet neighborhood needs.
- She states that current parking regulations are based on outdated assumptions from the 1950s and 1960s.
- Simpson urges the council to approve the proposal, arguing that it's a critical tool to unlock new housing opportunities and lower costs.
Rachel Simpson
5:40:49
Hi.
5:40:51
Thank you.
5:40:52
Good afternoon.
5:40:52
My name is Rachel Simpson, and I'm an architect specializing in affordable housing.
5:40:58
I'm here to support zoning changes in the city of yes for housing opportunity, but I want to specifically address and also support the removal of minimum parking requirements for new housing.
5:41:07
Parking mandates significantly drive up the cost of housing, especially in affordable housing projects by forcing developers to allocate their limited resources to parking spaces instead of building more desperately needed housing units.
5:41:21
In some cases, these mandates even lead to under development where builders create fewer housing units than they could just to avoid triggering higher parking requirements or bigger and costlier parking structures.
5:41:33
The current parking requirements were established generally in the fifties sixties and are not based on any current data or studies regarding car ownership or car usage.
5:41:43
They are outdated once says fits all mandates that don't reflect the diverse needs of New York City's many neighborhoods.
5:41:50
I want to address a common misconception or fear that we've heard frequently about these changes.
5:41:55
This These changes do not eliminate our ability to build parking.
5:42:00
They simply remove the requirement to do so for new housing.
5:42:04
This gives developers and designers the freedom and flexibility to provide parking where it is needed.
5:42:10
Without imposing unnecessary burdens where it's not allowing each neighborhood's unique needs to be met with appropriate nuance.
5:42:17
Today's regulations limit our potential to build based on obsolete assumptions.
5:42:22
Our housing crisis and affordability crisis demand that we address the issue from all sides.
5:42:27
Zoning alone can't solve this, but these changes are a critical tool to unlock new housing opportunities and to lower costs.
5:42:36
We should not approach this problem from an either or scarcity mentality, but with a yes and sense of practicality and possibility.
5:42:43
I urge the council to approve the city of yes for housing opportunity and put people before parking.
