PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Shams DaBaron, Housing Advocate from Da Housing Hero
9:37:08
·
120 sec
Shams DaBaron, a housing advocate with personal experience of homelessness, strongly supports the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. He argues that current zoning laws are rooted in racist policies and that this proposal is a crucial opportunity to address housing insecurity, particularly for Black and Brown communities in New York City.
- DaBaron emphasizes the urgency of the housing crisis, stating that without this proposal, many people, especially those from marginalized communities, may be forced to leave the city due to high rents.
- He criticizes the current system that makes it easier to build shelters than permanent housing, calling out the "shelter industrial complex" for profiting from this situation.
- DaBaron frames the choice for council members as one between housing or shelters, urging them to support the proposal to address long-standing inequities in housing access.
Shams DaBaron
9:37:08
I say today that we're at a crossroads with the most significant housing initiative in nearly 50 years.
9:37:16
The city of Jasper Housing Opportunity proposal.
9:37:20
As someone who has experienced housing insecurity and homelessness throughout my life, I know firsthand what's that state.
9:37:29
I know what it's like to be homeless as a child, homeless as a single parent, and homeless as a single adult.
9:37:37
I know what it's like to have to sleep on the subways on park benches, inner streets, and on people couches because I had no place to call home.
9:37:50
I believe that without this proposal going through the future for a lot of people, but in particular, black and brown people in this New York City is bleak.
9:38:04
The reality is, in my humble opinion, that our zoning laws are rooted in racist policy.
9:38:12
Today, you have an opportunity to reverse these racist zoning laws.
9:38:18
You know that they have codified, in my opinion, the oppression of black and brown people by restricting access to decent housing.
9:38:29
And if you don't seize this moment, I feared that we who are black and brown will have to flee the city because quite frankly, the rent is too damn high, and a shelter is not the best alternative to permanent housing.
9:38:47
While it is easy to build shelters, housing take years due to the long year look process, financing challenges, and those races zoning laws.
9:38:59
The shelter industrial complex drives making millions while housing development is held back.
9:39:05
So the choice is yours, housing or shelter.
