Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jumelia Abrahamson, Director of Programs at University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP)
1:43:40
·
6 min
Jumelia Abrahamson, Director of Programs at UNHP, testified about the challenges with New York City's Housing Connect system, particularly for Bronx residents. She highlighted the mismatch between income requirements and applicants' incomes, low success rates, and the need for reforms to make the system more accessible and effective for low-income New Yorkers.
- Only 36 out of 13,000 lottery applications submitted by UNHP resulted in housing placements
- About 80% of Housing Connect units require incomes higher than what most Bronx residents earn
- Urged for deeper affordability, better communication, additional funding for housing ambassadors, and a dashboard for tracking lottery submissions
Jumelia Abrahamson
1:43:40
Is this better?
1:43:41
Yep.
1:43:41
Alright.
1:43:43
Hello, chair Sanchez and members of the committee.
1:43:46
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
1:43:49
My name is Jamila Abramson, and I'm the director of programs at UNHP and part of a Bronx advocacy group called Ahora, affordable housing opportunities right away, that has been working with the council member.
1:44:01
This group is made up of apartment seekers, concerned local affordable property managers, and nonprofit service providers.
1:44:08
You will hear from a couple of them today here in the room and in The Bronx virtually, and others will make sure that they submit their testimony in writing because they couldn't take the time off from work.
1:44:21
This group came together in 2022 out of frustration around New York City Housing Connect even after the two point o remodeling.
1:44:31
University neighborhood housing program has been working with many of these applicants, and we've submitted over 13,000 lotteries since then because the main reason people come through our door is a need for permanent affordable housing.
1:44:49
We've offered one on one sessions, workshops, webinars to help apartment seekers navigate the Housing Connect portal.
1:44:57
Even with this hyperawareness in this particular program, only 36 applicants have moved into a Housing Connect department since we've been helping people over the years.
1:45:10
And as we like to say, they've won that golden ticket.
1:45:13
So only 36 family have won the golden ticket out of those 13,000 lotteries we've submitted.
1:45:20
That means that around 80% of Housing Connect units require income that are higher than what the majority of Bronx sites earn.
1:45:30
For this reason, after serving as a Housing Connect ambassador and pouring a lot of resources, we ended our formal agreement with HPD.
1:45:42
And even though we continue doing that work, we do it very targeted with Bronx residents.
1:45:49
Today, I commend the councils for the attention on this issue and urge bold community center reforms to ensure that the system truly serves low income New Yorkers, especially those in borough like The Bronx, where incomes remain significantly below citywide averages.
1:46:05
In The Bronx, where the median income of applicants we serve is below 25,000, the many so called affordable units remain far out of reach.
1:46:16
We call on the council to focus on four key areas.
1:46:20
One is to mandate deeper affordability, looking at requirements that reflect Bronx wages.
1:46:29
Two, better communication and transparency between agent and applicants.
1:46:34
Three, additional fund funding for housing ambassadors and ready to rent providers.
1:46:40
Four, a dashboard that the community organizations can see and track the lotteries that we've been submitting.
1:46:48
So how do we do those four things?
1:46:50
And I I you guys, I don't know how much time I have, but I'm gonna continue.
1:46:54
The current income I have
1:46:57
Okay.
1:46:58
Thank you.
1:46:58
The current income ban used in Housing Connect lottery is often too high for Bronx residents, so we are urging the council to look at and prioritize zero zero to thirty percent and thirty to 50% AMI bans.
1:47:15
Right now, if you look as the commissioner sir said earlier from HPD, there's 28 lotteries on the portal, but there's only three that are for Bronx applicants, and most of our clients want to remain living in The Bronx.
1:47:30
They work there.
1:47:31
They work shift there, so they wanna stay there.
1:47:34
And the starting income for two of those lottery is $8,083,000 dollars, which is not affordable for the people we serve, even if they're doubling up or tripling up.
1:47:46
If we look even at Bruckner Boulevard, which is one of the lotteries currently on the portal, which is a 274 unit development, which is great with an income starting at 19,372, but there's only 24 units within the 30% AMI.
1:48:03
So only 24 families will be selected across the entire borough, and most likely, our applicants would not receive a very low log number.
1:48:14
So we joke in the office that to win that golden ticket, you have to put a lot of prayers and a lot of good energy to make sure that you get a low log number enough that it's 24.
1:48:24
Number one through 20 fours are gonna be the ones that are gonna be first selected.
1:48:28
So this system is not really working for the people we serve.
1:48:32
We also demand better communication and transparency.
1:48:38
There's a lot of emails that I know the HPD has recently implemented in communicating with applicants, but those emails are being filled up with spam messages on lotteries that are not fit for our clients.
1:48:53
So they're getting frustrated with the process even further.
1:48:57
If I'm getting an email for a lottery that begins with an income band of 83,000, I feel like people are are are feeling that it's a joke, that the city is laughing at them because they are never gonna achieve that income.
1:49:11
So these emails should be personalized.
1:49:15
When If if you can conclude.
1:49:18
Yeah.
1:49:19
Would summarize real real real.
1:49:21
And then so better communication, additional funding.
1:49:27
Right now, the Ready to Rent program is serving several organization, but it's only one organization being receiving the money, which is Ariba, to my understanding.
1:49:36
So spreading more money towards that.
1:49:40
And then we need a housing connect system that lives up to his name, one that truly connects New Yorkers to those that need permanent and affordable housing.
1:49:50
So thank you for the time, and we look forward to further conversation.
1:49:54
Thank you so much.
Pierina Ana Sanchez
1:46:55
to have to say it, though, so you may continue.
1:49:17
I'm sorry.
1:49:17
If you can summarize.