PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sadia Rahman, Deputy Director at Chaya CDC, representing BASE Coalition
4:48:34
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128 sec
Sadia Rahman, representing the BASE Coalition, testified in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, specifically advocating for zoning reforms to create a program for basement apartment conversions. She emphasized the importance of maintaining key components in the final version to ensure safe and regulated basement apartments.
- Rahman highlighted three crucial elements: allowing conversions without raising non-compliance issues, eliminating additional parking requirements, and not considering cellar conversions as new floor area.
- She argued that these changes would improve resilience to climate disasters, provide financial relief to homeowners, and ensure tenant safety.
- Rahman stressed that the policy would have minimal adverse consequences on communities while allowing for a measured increase in density in neighborhoods with small homes.
Sadia Rahman
4:48:34
Hi.
4:48:34
Good afternoon.
4:48:35
My name is Sadia Raman, and I'm the deputy director at Chaya CDC.
4:48:39
I'm also here representing the Basement Apartment for safe for everyone or base coalition.
4:48:45
We are here today because we have been fighting for more than 15 years to make Basement Homes safe and regulated.
4:48:50
So I can put my video on.
4:48:53
City of Gas for housing opportunity includes zoning reforms that are necessary to create a program for basement apartment conversions, and we urge the sub committee and the council to ensure that the final version of this proposal maintains these key components for safe basement apartments.
4:49:09
Number 1, allowing for the conversion of basement and cellar apartments and existing building footprints without raising noncompliance issues.
4:49:16
2, eliminating the requirements for additional parking when a subgrade unit is being converted and 3, not considering seller conversions to be creating new floor area.
4:49:27
As a result of these proposed changes, Liveable spaces in small homes can be safely occupied without creating a zoning room compliance.
4:49:36
The impact that the sound policy will have cannot be understated.
4:49:40
It will boast bolster our city's ability to be more resilient to climate disaster.
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It will provide homeowners drowning and mounting expenses to come up for air.
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It will ensure that tenants do not have to live in fear of their locks being changed when they leave for work or worse, losing their home or life during the next storm surge.
4:49:59
This policy can have such a positive impact with minimal adverse consequences to communities.
4:50:05
It allows for a measured proportionate increase in density in neighborhoods with small homes.
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It doesn't indelope indelibly changed the character of the neighborhoods, and it minimally changes the footprint of the structure itself.
4:50:18
This is a win win for the city.
4:50:20
Of course, zoning changes alone will get us all of the way there, and we wanna use this opportunity to also highlight that we need Hence of legislative program that includes building code updates and an opt in program for homeowners is our hope that SSC contemplates these zoning changes.
UNKNOWN
4:50:37
Your time is expired.
Lynn Schulman
4:50:39
Time is up.
Sadia Rahman
4:50:40
Complimentary form.
4:50:41
Thank you so much.
Charles Ny
4:50:42
Thank you
