PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Robert Altman, Managing Member of Robert S. Altman, Esq., PLLC
2:33:34
·
117 sec
Robert Altman, Managing Member of Robert S. Altman, Esq., PLLC, provides testimony on the financial impact of a proposed bill and its implications for affordable housing projects. He highlights concerns about the cost per unit and discusses the wage requirements in relation to the 485x program.
- Altman cites a member's calculation that the proposed bill would cost $40,000 per unit, aligning with HPD's estimates.
- He clarifies misconceptions about the 485x program, noting that wage requirements only apply to certain areas and building sizes.
- Altman raises a concern from a minority contractor about whether minority contractors were consulted during the bill's drafting process.
Robert Altman
2:33:34
I'm not going to read my testimony because it's predominantly have it there in front of you, and you can look at it.
2:33:41
Couple of things.
2:33:41
I don't know if you have the latest version of the testimony, but one of our members who does union and non union jobs actually ran the numbers of what this would cost.
2:33:51
And he said that this would cost $40,000 per unit.
2:33:57
That sort of seems to be a bit in line with what HPD is talking about.
2:34:03
If you run the numbers, that's a substantial figure for the city of New York.
2:34:08
Second thing on 485x, there's a lot of mis descriptions on what was going on with 4485x.
2:34:18
The wage requirements, for example, only one in certain areas of certain tie certain size of buildings.
2:34:24
It's not in every building.
2:34:26
A lot of your affordable housing projects are under a 100 units, especially in the out ofborough areas of the city.
2:34:33
So when you get down to it, 485x, if it was a 485x project in that area, which I understand this doesn't apply to that, but if it was a similar type building, the wage requirements of 4885x would not apply.
2:34:48
So I I thought that that was something that needed to be brought out.
2:34:54
And finally, when we talked about this meeting at our board meeting the other month, one of the first things that got asked by from a minority contractor was, did anybody talk to the minority contractors before this bill was written?
2:35:17
And I don't have an answer for him.
2:35:20
So I I don't know.
2:35:24
But that's that was his concern because he felt this bill would not be written the way it was if people have gotten a substantial minority contract.
