PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Valerie Mason, Chair of Manhattan Community Board 8
10:22:46
·
132 sec
Valerie Mason, Chair of Manhattan Community Board 8, testified on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, highlighting concerns about the loss of affordable housing in her district and the potential ineffectiveness of the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) program. She also expressed opposition to lifting parking mandates, citing Manhattan's experience as a cautionary tale.
- Community Board 8 voted in favor of UAP due to desperation for affordable housing, but fears it may not be effective as a voluntary program
- The district has seen a significant loss of housing units and an increase in luxury developments
- Mason argued against lifting parking mandates, suggesting subsidized parking and municipal parking garages as alternatives
- She called for making the UAP mandatory to ensure its effectiveness in creating affordable housing
Valerie Mason
10:22:46
Thank you very much, Chairman.
10:22:48
I am Valerie Mason, Chair of Manhattan Community Board 8.
10:22:52
Coyle's housing market study showed that community district 8 is unfortunately 1st among all community districts and housing units lost during the period 2010 to 24.
10:23:03
We have at least 9 luxury developments underway with even more in the pipeline.
10:23:08
The combination of construction of such massive buildings with almost no additional housing, the conversion of small tenements to single family homes, and the combination of units in condos and coops has left our district with little affordable housing in some of the largest most expensive housing units in the world.
10:23:26
We voted in favor of UAP because we are desperate for affordable housing.
10:23:30
However, we fear that because this program will be voluntary, it will lead to at best just the spattering of affordable housing in our strict.
10:23:39
In the last 4 months, within a two block radius, more than 7 walk up buildings will be demolished with more luxury housing to take its place.
10:23:48
We also voted against the lifting of the parking mandate.
10:23:51
We don't want the city to make the same mistake twice.
10:23:54
Manhattan exemplifies the failure of the removal of parking minimum parking requirements.
10:23:59
The minimums from Manhattan, the low 96th Street were removed more than 40 years ago.
10:24:04
Does anyone see more affordable housing in Manhattan?
10:24:07
Street parking is used for rental cars because there is little in building parking, and we have more car ownership than ever in Manhattan.
10:24:15
We can make our streets safer for all modes of transportation if we move car parking in building.
10:24:21
Rather than eliminating party parking mandates, why not subsidize them and commit to build municipal parking garages?
10:24:29
The rich will always have parking.
10:24:31
We need to think about the disabled and middle class having affordable parking This is not an either or choice.
10:24:38
There is no infrastructure proposed that will appear in the next 20 years that will make public transportation within the outer boroughs more robust.
10:24:47
We want our fair share of Your
UNKNOWN
10:24:49
tap is expired.
Valerie Mason
10:24:50
But it seems no one wants the U.
10:24:52
S.
10:24:52
To have it.
10:24:53
And we are skeptical that's Coyle as proposed, we'll do it.
10:24:57
Please make the UAP mandatory.
