PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Vanessa L. Gibson, Bronx Borough President, City of New York on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Proposal
6:22:09
·
5 min
Vanessa L. Gibson, Bronx Borough President, testified in support of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, emphasizing the need for more affordable housing across all NYC neighborhoods. She highlighted the city's housing crisis and the importance of creating housing to lower rent costs citywide.
- Gibson supported many parts of the proposal but noted some components require further consideration.
- She endorsed the legalization of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) but stressed the need for additional building inspectors and homeowner education.
- Gibson expressed concerns about proposals for smaller housing units and the removal of parking mandates, particularly in transit-poor areas.
Vanessa L. Gibson
6:22:09
Good afternoon, everyone at the New York City Council.
6:22:12
Thank you so much, Chair Riley, and all the members of the city council's subcommittee on zoning and franchises.
6:22:18
I appreciate the opportunity to testify today I know it's been a very long day so far, but I appreciate your leadership, chair, council member, Kevin Riley.
6:22:27
Thank you for leading this very important hearing.
6:22:30
Let me begin by thanking the Department of City Planning.
6:22:33
I would chair Dan Garatnik, and the CPC, as well as the entire city of yes, at city planning, the entire team for their efforts to truly address critical housing challenges that are faced by many, many New Yorkers Our city is currently experiencing a housing crisis.
6:22:52
2, many of our residents are unable to afford their rents and are at risk of eviction and displacement.
6:22:58
The construction of new housing over time has unfortunately not kept pace with rising rents that for many residents have truly reached unaffordable levels.
6:23:10
The zoning for housing opportunity proposal begins our city on a path.
6:23:15
To create the housing that is necessary to truly bring down the cost of rent throughout our city.
6:23:22
In my full recommendation to the city council and the city planning commission, we supported many parts of this proposal.
6:23:30
However, there were some conditions that we outlined with several components in the proposal that really require greater thought of which should be considered for your implementation.
6:23:41
I fully support the goal of creating a little more housing in every neighborhood of every community in our city.
6:23:49
All communities in our city must do their fair share to truly create the housing that we need.
6:23:54
And when we say affordable, it must be affordable for those at the lowest end of the economic spectrum.
6:24:01
There is a narrative that you've heard today, and you will continue to hear, and it is that this proposal will be detrimental to lower density neighborhoods and that is not true.
6:24:12
The town center zoning, transit oriented development, and district fixes, those proposals will provide additional flexibility by allowing some additional hype and additional units.
6:24:23
But it is still within a very narrow scope and range of 1 to 2 stories in many cases, which will not change the existing character of our beautiful and vibrant neighborhoods by focusing on areas that are within a half mile of transit This proposal will allow for additional density where it makes the most sense and is reasonable to ensure that everyone can truly get around our city without asking and adding more cars to our already congested roads.
6:24:55
In order to support new housing development, the city also must look to ensure that we support our existing residents by providing a modernization of infrastructure within our communities that will be needed as our city continues to grow.
6:25:10
Balancing new development with support for existing neighborhoods is a common sense approach, and many have talked about ex investing in existing infrastructures today.
6:25:21
I am in favor of the proposal to legalize the development of ADUs because providing smart housing options that allow flexibility is truly important.
6:25:31
However, to safely allow this new unit type The city must also provide additional department of buildings inspectors to protect our residents health and well-being and safety.
6:25:45
The city must engage with all of our homeowners on this issue and ensure that they all know what their rights responsibilities, and the guidelines of this program is when it comes to ADUs.
6:25:56
We need more inspectors at the Department of Buildings, as well as HPD.
6:26:00
When it comes to the infill development, particularly in New York City Housing Authority, on our nitrile campuses, The city must actively engage with residents and tenant association leadership to ensure that their concerns are taken into account.
6:26:14
In field development should have a focus on providing housing for working families and older adults and veterans particularly those that already live in night shift today.
6:26:25
Let us lift off these families that live in public housing right now.
6:26:29
We must ensure that all of our night shift residents still have access to clean air, sufficient light, and open in green spaces just like every resident in our city.
6:26:39
I do not support the proposals to increase small or shared housing and to decrease the dwelling unit factor.
6:26:47
The Bronx has already seen an influx of many smaller units, studio and small one bedroom apartments in many of our new developments and conversions to smaller units in many of our existing buildings today.
6:27:01
Throughout my tenure as Barbara President, I have consistently, and we'll continue to do so, advocating for building more family style units, large scale apartments for many of our families, including 23 and yes, sometimes 4 bedroom apartments.
6:27:18
We need larger units that work for families, not just single adults.
6:27:22
Families are growing, and right now they're doubled and tripled up today.
UNKNOWN
6:27:26
Your time is expired.
Vanessa L. Gibson
6:27:27
You know, we have seen that.
6:27:29
So as I close, I just wanna say that I also am very concerned about the clock mandates.
6:27:35
I think it can work in some areas, but areas that are transit deserts, we have to provide options to help families get around.
6:27:42
And so I'd like you in the city council to review all of my full recommendations which go into detail and truly, chair Riley, and council members.
6:27:51
When everyone has stable housing in New York City, it is beneficial to all of us.
6:27:55
So I thank you for your time today and look forward to working with you at the members of the city council.
6:28:00
Thank you so much, chair.
