The citymeetings.nyc logo showing a pigeon at a podium with a microphone.

citymeetings.nyc

Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

TESTIMONY

Christopher Leon Johnson as Bob Martin, McDonald's worker from Flatbush, on City of Yes affordability concerns and displacement fears

14:42:16

·

179 sec

Report an issue

NOTE: This testimony is fake. Christopher Leon Johnson is testifying a second time under a pseudonym. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2ae96qYm2Y.

Bob Martin, a low-wage worker from Flatbush, expresses strong opposition to the City of Yes initiative, citing concerns about affordability and potential displacement. He argues that the program's income requirements are far beyond what he and many working poor New Yorkers can meet.

  • Martin emphasizes his annual income of $20,000 is well below the 80% Area Median Income (AMI) threshold reportedly required for City of Yes housing.
  • He criticizes organizations supporting the initiative, questioning their motives and expressing fears of displacement in neighborhoods like Flatbush and Jamaica.
  • Martin highlights the challenge of securing housing in New York City despite having good credit, due to his low income, and calls for more attention to the needs of low-income workers.
  • Cannot afford housing under City of Yes due to low income ($20,000/year)
  • City of Yes will not benefit poor people like him
  • New developments in his area are unaffordable despite having good credit
  • City of Yes will only benefit the wealthy
  • Works multiple jobs (McDonald's and construction) but still can't afford housing
  • Concerns about displacement of current residents
  • Criticizes organizations supporting the plan (Open Plans, Open New York, Tri-State, Regional Plan Association, Transportation Alternatives)

[EXPERIMENTAL]

Which elements of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity were discussed in this testimony?

  • UAP
  • Small and Shared Housing

The following are AI-extracted quotes and reasoning about which elements of the proposal were discussed in this testimony.

This is a quick, close approximation. Occasionally, the connection between a testimony's transcript and specific elements of City Planning's proposal is tenuous.

Read about this AI-generated analysis here.

UAP

"I was doing some research and these I see the rules said that yet to make 80% AMI to be able to live in the city of yes."

The speaker is referring to the affordability requirements of the City of Yes proposal, which includes the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP). While the speaker mentions 80% AMI instead of 60% AMI, this still indicates a discussion of the affordability aspect of the proposal.

"I cannot afford that. I make I make $20,000 a year. I don't make $89,000 a year."

The speaker is discussing his inability to afford housing under the City of Yes proposal, which relates to the UAP element aimed at providing affordable housing options.

Small and Shared Housing

"I had to live with a roommate. I don't live in a little room."

While the speaker doesn't directly mention the Small and Shared Housing proposal, he is discussing his current living situation which involves shared housing (living with a roommate). This relates to the element of the proposal that aims to re-legalize housing with shared facilities.


About this analysis:

This analysis is done by AI that reasons whether or not a quote from the testimony discusses a particular element of the proposal.

All the prompts and data are open and available on Github.

You can search for testimonies that mentioned a specific element in the table on the main meeting page.

When an element is explicitly stated in the testimony (e.g. "Universal Affordability Preference" or "UAP"), the analysis is accurate.

But the connection between a quote from the testimony and an element of the proposal is sometimes implicit.

In these cases, the AI might eagerly label a testimony as discussing a proposal when the connection is tenuous, or it might omit it entirely.

↗ Why are there transcription and diarization errors?
Bob Martin
14:42:16
Hello.
14:42:17
This is Bob Martin.
14:42:18
From Flatbush.
14:42:20
I just came off work for McDonald's.
14:42:22
It closed at 11 o'clock today.
14:42:24
So I'm here to show my opposition to the city of Yes.
14:42:27
I am a working poor man that works at McDonald's.
14:42:30
I cannot afford the city of yes.
14:42:33
I made $20,000 a year.
14:42:35
I was doing some research and these I see the rules said that yet to make 80% AMI to be able to live in the city of yes.
14:42:43
I cannot afford that.
14:42:45
I make I make $20,000 a year.
14:42:48
I don't make $89,000 a year.
14:42:52
I oppose this.
14:42:54
It's not gonna affect me by my tongue.
14:42:57
It's not gonna affect a poor person like me.
14:43:00
It will now affect a poor person like me, everybody.
14:43:03
Now, I heard that there's a a few organizations that's pushing what is the place with me, Babatan.
14:43:09
Like, open plans, and open Neapal, and Tri State, and the writer's alliance, and transportation alternatives.
14:43:16
Why are you wanting to displace me by my time?
14:43:19
Why do you wanna place that Jamaica?
14:43:21
Come on.
14:43:22
Come flatbush.
14:43:23
I see the new developments in my my town.
14:43:26
I try to apply the Hudson Connect SPD.
14:43:29
I can't get a programming enough money.
14:43:32
I don't make enough my credit is good.
14:43:33
My credit is 7 hundred points.
14:43:35
I can't get of an apartment because I make 20,000 out of here.
14:43:39
How will the city yes affect me when I make good credit in New York City, but I still can't get an apartment because I make 20,000 hours a year.
14:43:49
I live in the 42nd district.
14:43:50
I live in the 40th district.
14:43:52
Missus Farrell was district.
14:43:55
Walking home now.
14:43:56
In the dangerous area of flattish.
14:43:59
I can't afford anything in miss Valor's district.
14:44:02
I can't afford anything in our district.
14:44:05
Get to make a 100,000 miles, and he had to live with a new apartment by herself in her district.
14:44:10
I made 20,000.
14:44:12
I had to live with a roommate.
14:44:13
I don't live in a little room.
14:44:16
This is a background New York City.
14:44:18
This will never benefit the par.
14:44:20
This will only benefit the witch.
14:44:22
The wealthy I am not wealthy majority of us in your city or not wealthy.
14:44:27
We're par.
14:44:28
We work at par.
14:44:29
We I worked 2 jobs.
14:44:30
I worked McDonald's, and then tomorrow working non uni construction.
14:44:34
I need a union job.
14:44:36
Mister Dan Mister Daniel, can you help me out with that?
14:44:39
Can you give me some directions of how to get a union job so I can make them not mine to get apartment?
14:44:46
And it said yes.
14:44:48
Yes.
14:44:48
Mister Dan, please.
14:44:50
But this is the truth to everybody.
14:44:52
This is a bad plan in New York City.
14:44:54
We had to pull to see a yes.
14:44:56
I heard it this afternoon when I was at work.
14:44:58
Somebody said this to me a mess.
14:45:01
This is a dirty job.
14:45:03
This is Gabbitch.
14:45:05
I cleaned I cleaned McDonald's.
14:45:07
This may be cleaned up.
14:45:08
This shouldn't be going down.
14:45:10
So thank you, Mister Daniel.
14:45:11
I know you have to go home.
14:45:13
Please stay safe.
14:45:14
Have a nice night.
14:45:15
Thank you.
Dan Garodnick
14:45:16
Thank you.

Subscribe to the citymeetings.nyc newsletter

Highlights of meeting moments and curious claims every 1-2 weeks.

Read previous issues

Citymeetings.nyc pigeon logo

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.