Diah Mehera
3:10:29
Good afternoon, Chair, Riley And Council Members.
3:10:32
My name is Diana Mehera.
3:10:33
I'm the Director of Marketing And Communications at Tech NYC, a leading technology industry organization.
3:10:40
The housing crisis in New York is a serious concern.
3:10:43
Earlier this year, tech NYC And Street Easy released a report on housing availability in New York, and the findings were ominous.
3:10:51
The tech center, the tech sector, a major driver of our city's economy, is struggling to attract and retain talent because of the exorbitant housing costs.
3:11:01
Young professionals are being forced to relocate to another city or forgo living in New York City altogether.
3:11:08
That is not the future we want.
3:11:11
We want a strong pipeline of diverse talent to be able to afford to live and remain here to continue to drive economic growth.
3:11:20
But this is a city wide crisis, not just a tech crisis.
3:11:23
And the city of Yale's proposal offers a solution, increase the supply of housing, particularly mixed income housing to create a more inclusive city that benefits all its residents.
3:11:36
This will benefit not only the tax sector, but also teachers, nurses, firefighters, sanitation workers, and the countless others who keep our city running.
3:11:47
Tech NYC recently coauthored an audit with council member, on the need for more housing, giving our support to 2 solutions proposed by City of Yes.
3:11:58
1, enacting reforms to allow modest increases in housing near public transit, which could create more than 1,100,000 new homes.
3:12:07
And ease commutes for workers.
3:12:09
2, remove off street parking requirements for new apartment buildings, which will reduce the cost of building new apartments and decrease rents.
3:12:19
Maintaining the status quo is no longer viable.
3:12:23
The city of Yes represents a decisive move to keep New York's promise of opportunity alive for everyone.
3:12:31
I urge you to approve this critical proposal.
