PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Howard Slatkin, Executive Director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council
1:30:45
·
145 sec
Howard Slatkin, representing Citizens Housing and Planning Council, strongly supports the proposed bills for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and basement apartment legalization. He emphasizes the importance of these bills in expanding safe, affordable housing options, particularly benefiting communities of color and homeowners relying on rental income.
- Slatkin suggests improvements to the bills, including clear and achievable ADU standards, aligning minimum ceiling heights with international codes, and making the legalization process more navigable for homeowners.
- He recommends expanding relief for existing basement units beyond the 15 community districts in the state pilot program.
- Slatkin advises using existing coastal flood zone maps for risk management rather than creating new conflicting geographies.
Howard Slatkin
1:30:45
Good afternoon, chair Sanchez.
1:30:48
Thank you for, allowing us to testify.
1:30:50
My name is Howard Slatkin.
1:30:51
I'm executive director of Citizens Housing and Planning Council.
1:30:53
We are a member of the Base Coalition, and we are also the evaluator for the East New York Basement, Apartment Conversion Pilot Program.
1:31:04
We are happy to be here to testify with our strong support for these important bills.
1:31:09
They present an immensely important opportunity to expand the availability of safe, affordable housing for people who don't want or can't pay for, an entire house.
1:31:19
This will particularly benefit communities of color.
1:31:21
Our polling research in low density areas shows that black homeowners are 3 times more likely than others to rely on rental income from their homes.
1:31:30
ADUs are the most modest, incremental, and low cost way to add housing in neighborhoods characterized by small homes and higher rates of home ownership.
1:31:38
And the establishment of a legalization program would enable the owners of thousands of existing basement and seller apartments to lawfully implement critical safety upgrades, providing both them and their tenants security they lack today.
1:31:51
We will be submitting written comments detailing improvements that we'd like to see to the bills, to better address the needs of homeowners and renters or at least do so in a more extensive and thorough way.
1:32:02
These include ensuring that ADU standards are clear, achievable at low cost, and give homeowners the predictability they need, that includes, prompt, promulgation of any rules that are required under the the legislation, aligning all minimum ceiling heights with international and state codes at 7 feet to eliminate the need for costly and disruptive excavation, which can cost 200,000 or more dollars, to homeowners, making the legalization process navigable for ordinary homeowners by providing assurance that penalties will be waived for good faith pursuit of legalization with achievable milestones in that process.
1:32:41
As, my colleague here, Sylvia, mentioned, we'd like to see the council expand relief for existing basement and cellar units beyond the state pilot programs, 15 community districts within the limits of the city's authority.
1:32:55
And finally, use existing coastal flood zone maps, coastal flood zone maps, which do exist today to promote sound flood risk management rather than creating new conflicting coastal flood risk geographies administered by different agencies.
1:33:08
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
