PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Barika Williams, Executive Director of Association for Neighborhood And Housing Development (ANHD) on Intro 910
2:24:15
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167 sec
Barika Williams, representing ANHD, expresses concerns about Intro 910's potential impact on affordable housing production in New York City. While supporting fair wages, she argues that the bill in its current form would hinder affordable housing efforts due to increased costs without additional funding.
- The bill would affect all HPD-subsidized projects, including 100% nonprofit, supportive, and affordable homeownership projects.
- ANHD warns that without additional funding, the affordable housing sector cannot maintain current production numbers or meet increased costs.
- Williams disputes the claim of only a 2% cost increase, stating that the impact would be more significant and could result in some projects never happening.
Barika Williams
2:24:15
Hi, Chair at Dolores.
2:24:16
My name is Berica Williams.
2:24:17
I'm the executive director of the Association for Neighborhood And Housing Development or A and HD, and we represent more than 80 plus housing, nonprofit, tenants organizing groups across the city.
2:24:26
So ADHD agrees with the spirit and intent of intro 9 10, particularly in valuing worker's rights and ensuring fair wages.
2:24:34
It's very important to us.
2:24:36
Our members, many of our members are proud supporters of things like the just pay campaign.
2:24:41
Around ensuring increase in a colon increases for human services, but we believe the bill as it stands in its current form would hinder our overall production preservation of affordable housing in New York City.
2:24:53
Our key concerns are the potential reduction in affordable housing units, the adverse effect on non profit developers, the adverse effect on MWE firms and subs, and the enforcement requirements that resemble prevailing wage standards, I wanna be really specific that we oppose because our concerns are about affording this without significant capital funding for HPD by this and future city councils from which this bill makes no commitment at this time.
2:25:22
There is no money attached to this bill.
2:25:24
And so in its current form, it would be unworkable for our affordable housing context.
2:25:30
To clarify for council member Brewer's previous questions, this bill applies to all projects with HPD subsidy.
2:25:37
So it's not limited to those 45 x or NIH units with only 20% affordable.
2:25:41
So that would include a 100% nonprofit projects.
2:25:45
That would include supportive projects.
2:25:47
That would include a 100% DV projects.
2:25:49
That would include a 100% project based voucher projects, and affordable homeownership.
2:25:56
These are all things that we heard council members bring up at last week's hearing on city of yes.
2:26:01
We heard increase affordable units.
2:26:03
Increase in deeper affordability, more affordable house homeownership.
2:26:07
And I just for us, as ADHD, we want to make sure that the council is very clear, that as it stands right now without money, our members and the affordable housing sector would not be able to hold consistent to the current production numbers, let alone be able to meet those significant increase in costs.
2:26:25
And I just wanna name that while previous testimony was citing a 2% cost and increase on the projects that is fundamentally not correct and not how this is financed that looks like a project by project basis.
2:26:38
And in reality, what would happen is each project would cost more certain projects would go ahead, and certain projects in some of your districts would never happen.
2:26:48
That is the way Li Tech is financed, not the way we finance an individual project, and we have to look at both the systems and the individual project costs.
2:26:57
And so that's a big challenge for us.
2:26:59
I'll stop now because I know I'm at the time.
