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Balancing density and homeownership in rezoning efforts

1:26:28

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Council Member Brooks-Powers and Commissioner Goodridge discuss the challenge of balancing higher density rezoning with opportunities for homeownership, particularly focusing on the need for family-sized units in new developments.

Brooks-Powers expresses concern that high-density rezonings like City of Yes may prioritize rental development over homeownership
Goodridge highlights the issue of new developments predominantly consisting of studios and one-bedrooms (70% under the current administration)
They discuss the need for more two and three-bedroom units to accommodate families and provide homeownership opportunities

Selvena N. Brooks-Powers

1:26:28

Thank you for that.

1:26:29

Just alignment with in terms of the home ownership piece, balance in density and home ownership.

1:26:36

Some housing advocates argue that higher density rezonings, again like the proposed city of yes, primarily encourage rental development rather than homeownership.

1:26:49

What alternative strategies would you propose to ensure that rezoning efforts also create opportunities for family size owner occupied housing.

1:26:59

And I know you and some of the what I read spoke to, you know, the need to have more than studios in one bedrooms and that was really good to hear because oftentimes when developers are coming to me in my district, they're talking about largely studios and one bedrooms.

1:27:17

Even when I talk to the seniors in my community that look for senior housing want no less than a one bedroom to have their dignity when they have people in there.

1:27:26

So when we think about housing and families and where they be in place, know, that is a concern that I continue to hear as well.

Leah Goodridge

1:27:35

It's a huge concern as as I was saying earlier there's there's 70% under the Adams administration have been studios and one bedrooms.

1:27:43

So one of the things people say when they come and testify is who is this for?

1:27:47

Is this for students you know, but this the or who you know this is not for people from the neighborhood, this is not for families even if you're a family with one child that's at least a two bedroom.

1:27:59

So we often have this in New York City and so this is goes back to this whole theme of is the city being just like bought off by developers because who we we're building a business class and not a class for families.

1:28:14

So it goes back to providing homeownership opportunities with actual two bedrooms and so forth.

1:28:22

You know one of the what what you know there's something that an applicant said recently because I asked about this, there was a very controversial development that came back and the developer mentioned you know the three bedrooms, the community wanted three bedrooms and when it came back, the developer added the three bedrooms but then said that this is not popular.

1:28:45

And I don't know that that's I don't know that that's particularly true, but at least there's this mindset I think amongst developers I guess that it's not it's not financially worth it to build three bedrooms.

1:28:58

I don't know that that's really true, think people are looking and that was for rentals, I think people are looking for home ownership opportunities with three bedrooms.

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