Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Teresa Scott, Leader of Save Section 9
0:39:17
ยท
5 min
Teresa Scott, a leader of Save Section 9, passionately advocated for the protection of public housing and against RAD/PACT conversions. She emphasized the lack of transparency in the conversion process, the importance of public housing for vulnerable residents, and called for further study and a moratorium on conversions.
- Highlighted personal experiences as a disabled resident and the community support in public housing
- Urged the adoption of Resolution 0730-2025 for a thorough study on RAD/PACT impacts
- Called for immediate moratorium on RAD/PACT conversions pending impact studies
- Stressed the unique affordability of Section 9 housing and the potential consequences of displacement
Teresa Scott
0:39:17
Lisa.
0:39:17
Blessing everyone.
0:39:19
Thank you.
0:39:20
This what's happening here is very traumatic to to know what people are experiencing.
0:39:28
I'm Teresa Scott.
0:39:29
I'm one of the leaders of same section nine, and thank you all for expressing your pain and your hurt of and the disrespect that's happened with us here at NYCHA.
0:39:38
I've been living in I love public housing because public housing saved my life.
0:39:43
And if I hadn't been in public housing, I might not be here.
0:39:48
By me being part of say by me being part of Safe Section nine and other advocate advocate for other people, I've been able to help other people that are disabled.
0:39:59
Also, what they're saying is true.
0:40:03
The people are being harassed.
0:40:05
I don't I don't my building hasn't been taken over by NYCHA, but there are members who spoke here that I I know of.
0:40:11
Like, they are being NYCHA has been enormant with real estate deals and forgotten the promise of public housing.
0:40:20
And it seemed the only thing that they seem to be wanting is just to privatize everything.
0:40:25
There has there has been a lot of privacy, like, you know, sneaky things, and people are not aware of what's going on.
0:40:32
They're not explained.
0:40:34
We work with tenants that are they are telling them to sign sign paperwork that they don't even understand what they're signing.
0:40:42
So there's a there is no transparency as far as Rad PAC.
0:40:46
I wanna thank everyone.
0:40:50
Thank you for even allowing us to speak.
0:40:51
This is the first time in history that I've ever been in a a hearing where the tenants were able to speak first.
0:40:57
Thank you so much for that.
0:40:59
The other problem the other solution is that need to be part of this meeting because HUD is the one who creates what goes and what doesn't happen in New York.
0:41:07
Tenants have been bullied, as they said.
0:41:11
There has not been no transparency.
0:41:14
The lack of improvement, as a young lady said, she's living in RADA, and she's still being harassed.
0:41:19
She's still not getting treatment.
0:41:20
And we and human rights did a a survey already to let us know what was going on, and no one else, as mister Marquis said, there has not been no other person who's done an investigation.
0:41:32
I'm asking that the public advocate y'all think RAD is good for us, but RAD is not good for us.
0:41:38
RAD removes our homes from public houses, and we no longer have public houses.
0:41:45
So that means that they're trying to get rid of our house.
0:41:48
I would like to know, can I come stay with one of y'all if that happens to me?
0:41:54
Because where else my opposites stay?
0:41:56
I don't I I am a disabled person, and I have lived here, and my neighbors helped take care of me.
0:42:03
I don't have family members that come and see about me like my neighbors do.
0:42:06
So if I'm put in the street, I have a wheelchair, I'm a be out in the street in a wheelchair.
0:42:11
What I would like for y'all to do is I would like for y'all to adopt the resolution code 0730Dash205 and conduct a thorough study on the RAD PAC program to access the effects of conversion on residents and the program's impacts on tenant rights, security, and well-being.
0:42:29
I'm also asking that the city council do immediate to immediately issue a moratorium on nitrile rad pack conversions pending completions of the robust impact studies inclusive for all our properties currently being served by project section project based section eight.
0:42:51
We ask that the council host to join hearings with Albany counterparts on RAD PAC.
0:42:57
During this hearing, NYCHA and HUS office of public and Indian housing should be asked.
0:43:03
We need you all to provide insight for the success of the program nationally.
0:43:08
Success should be defined on improving the quality of life for previous section nine tenant living.
0:43:15
I'm sorry.
0:43:16
Improving improved quality for the life of previous section nine tenants living in a Pacific property.
0:43:23
An explanation of the lifetime for rat conversions need to be
Chris Banks
0:43:29
You have
Teresa Scott
0:43:30
a minute
Chris Banks
0:43:31
to wrap it up.
Teresa Scott
0:43:31
Okay.
0:43:32
So the the and then I want to to explain on how we oppose expand on how oppositions weighed in the larger application for section nine to wrap back to section 18.
0:43:45
And what I wanna say is that it's sad that we have to come here and cry about the abuse and harassment.
0:43:52
And how can you you are you are giving NYCHA a right to to to steal our homes because we don't we a lot of people even know what RAD PAC mean.
0:44:03
They don't even know they don't even know that section nine is the only affordable housing, housing, only affordable low income housing, and it's based on your income, not based on your ZIP code.
0:44:15
Because I live in a I live in a ZIP code where there are a million dollar houses, and a lot of times, they're not basing the income when they when they come in all these creations that they're coming up out here and and where we live at.
0:44:28
And so we need you to save our home.
0:44:31
Our homes are are part of us.
0:44:34
If you if you move some people out of their homes, they instantly.
0:44:38
Are you willing to have people's deaths on your hand because you did not take the time to investigate and make rad, make NYCHA, make hard be accountable for us having a place to live that is called our home?
0:44:51
I am a very intelligent black woman.
0:44:53
I just wrote a book called Thriving Elders.
0:44:57
But if I have to worry about where I'm gonna live at, how can I be a thriving elder thriving in this society, if you don't protect me, and y'all have not protected us?
Chris Banks
0:45:08
Thank you.
Teresa Scott
0:45:09
I'm so thankful that you let us speak today.
0:45:11
Thank you very much.
Chris Banks
0:45:12
Thank you.