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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lacey Tauber, Legislative Director of Brooklyn Borough President's Office
2:18:12
ยท
131 sec
Lacey Tauber, representing Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, testified in support of the Back Home Act and related legislation to address issues faced by residents displaced due to emergencies, particularly fires. She highlighted the widespread nature of the problem and its impact on families.
- Over 2,000 New Yorkers were living in shelters as of March 4 due to displacement.
- Displaced families face disruptions to their lives, including separation from jobs, schools, and support systems.
- Some landlords intentionally slow down repairs or make renovations that don't accommodate existing tenants, potentially to displace them permanently.
- Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of conditions leading to fires and flooding, making this legislation more crucial.
Lacey Tauber
2:18:12
Good afternoon chairs and thank you for holding this hearing.
2:18:15
My name is Lacey Tauber and I'm here representing Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to support the Back Home Act as proposed by council member Gutierrez.
2:18:26
Borough president Reynoso preceded council member Gutierrez in representing Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Ridgewood and understands firsthand why this issue is so important to her district.
2:18:35
During his time in the council and as borough president, BP Reynoso and his staff have assisted numerous families who have tragically been displaced from their homes by emergencies, especially fires.
2:18:44
However, you heard, this experience isn't unique to that district.
2:18:48
As of March 4, the last day that HPD released its monthly data, more than 2,000 New Yorkers from all over the city were living in the various shelters after being displaced.
2:18:59
This experience can be massively disruptive for families.
2:19:02
In addition to losing all or most of their possessions, these families are often dealing with being displaced to other neighborhoods, away from jobs, schools, doctors and support systems.
2:19:11
They're often forced to navigate complex and unfamiliar bureaucracies to access city services.
2:19:16
Too often their landlords don't give them a clear timeline for when they can return and emergency shelter stays are limited.
2:19:22
With our city's housing vacancy rate at the lowest it's been since the nineteen sixties and limited affordable housing opportunities available, families who can't find permanent housing they can afford will likely end up in the already overcrowded shelter system.
2:19:35
Where still some landlords have intentionally slowed down the process of making repairs, demolished apartments, or made renovations that did not accommodate existing tenants' needs in an attempt to collect insurance payments and or to displace their tenants permanently and in turn raise the rent.
2:19:49
I'm going to skip for time comments on the specific legislation but just add that BP Reynosa supports the other bills in the Back Home Act as well, sponsored by Councilmember Krishna on that six zero seven, six zero eight, and six zero nine, and urges the council to pass them quickly.
2:20:04
And just a final note that unfortunately due to climate change, the city is experiencing more frequent drought conditions that can lead to fire danger as well as increased coastal and storm water flooding, so these problems are not gonna go away.
2:20:16
Passing the Back Home Act is one of the ways we can prepare for this while protecting tenants and holding landlords accountable.
2:20:22
Thank you.