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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Will Spisak, Senior Policy Strategist from New Economy Project
6:22:59
·
131 sec
Will Spisak, representing New Economy Project and the citywide Community Land Trust (CLT) initiative, testified about the importance of CLTs in bringing community control to land and housing across New York City. He urged the city council to provide enhanced funding and address delays in registering discretionary funding contracts.
- Requested $3 million for the CLT initiative in the fiscal year 2026 expense budget
- Highlighted the growth of CLTs across the city and their role in empowering communities
- Called attention to harmful delays in registering discretionary funding contracts, which put CLTs and organizations at risk
Will Spisak
6:22:59
Can you hear me now?
James "Jimmy" S. Oddo
6:23:00
Yep.
6:23:01
Yes.
Will Spisak
6:23:01
Okay.
6:23:02
Alright.
6:23:02
That's wonderful.
6:23:03
I can't let the final testimony say bad things about community land trusts, and they're doing amazing work.
6:23:10
So I need to highlight the amazing work COTs are actually doing in New York City.
6:23:14
So thank you, Chair Sanchez and members of the Housing Committee.
6:23:18
My name is Will Spuzak.
6:23:20
I'm a senior policy strategist for New Economy Project.
6:23:23
We're a thirty year old organization that's been fighting for a new economy, a just economy based on principles of cooperation, racial and ecological justice.
6:23:35
And we are the coordinators of the citywide community land trust initiative or the CLT initiative.
6:23:42
And we are the coordinators of the New York City Community Land Initiative or nicely a coalition of 20 community land trust around the five boroughs.
6:23:54
The COTs are doing tremendous work to bring community control to land and housing around New York City in a way that hasn't been done broadly in a very long time.
6:24:05
And we're really excited to see the growth of COTs expand across the city and bring true community control, true tenant power directly to New York City neighborhoods.
6:24:17
We're asking the city council to ensure enhanced funding of $3,000,000 for the CLT initiative in the fiscal year twenty six expense budget as speaker Adams has committed to in last year's city for all package.
6:24:31
This urge urgently needed funding will support the growth of 17 CLTs and three citywide technical assistance organizations working to expand the CLT model and bring more land and housing under community control.
6:24:43
We also urge the city council to address the city agencies chronic harmful delays in registering discretionary funding contracts.
6:24:51
It's been painfully slow, and it's really playing a lot of the CLTs and organizations like ours at risk by delaying payment for the work that we're doing.
6:25:03
And lastly on
Kenny Margarito Alvarez
6:25:03
the Your time's expired.
Will Spisak
6:25:05
Alright.
6:25:06
Thank you so much.
6:25:06
Please find neighborhood pillars and get that term sheet out.
Gale A. Brewer
6:25:10
Thank you.