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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Introduction and overview of New York City's housing challenges
0:10:13
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135 sec
Ahmed Tigani, Acting Commissioner of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), provides an introduction to the state of housing in New York City and emphasizes the urgency of addressing the ongoing housing crisis. He shares the story of Robert Pamphiel, a 70-year-old New Yorker who found affordable housing after years of struggle, to illustrate the real impact of HPD's work.
- Tigani emphasizes that HPD's work is about real homes, communities, and people
- The testimony serves as both a state of housing report and a call to action
- The story of Robert Pamphiel is used to personalize the impact of affordable housing initiatives
Ahmed Tigani
0:10:13
Good morning Chair Brennan, Chair Sanchez, and members of the committees on finance and housing and buildings and public housing.
0:10:21
My name is Ahmed Tegani, the acting commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and I'm joined by my colleague and diehard Knicks fan, Gardier Caphart, our deputy commissioner of the Office of Finance and Administration.
0:10:36
I appreciate the opportunity to come back and testify on behalf of HPD.
0:10:40
Today, I I wanna discuss the state of housing in New York City.
0:10:44
Five Weeks ago, you gave us the opportunity to share HPD's vision for the future we're working to build and to engage in a conversation about how New York City is leveraging our financing tools, resources, and community programs to address the ongoing housing crisis.
0:10:59
As I said then, and I reaffirm to you now, every single day, we are showing up with urgency, with creativity, and with dedication.
0:11:08
This conversation and our budget isn't theoretical.
0:11:11
It's about real homes, real communities, and real people.
0:11:15
Robert Pamphiel is a 70 year old New Yorker born in Trinidad.
0:11:20
After retiring to care for his wife and son, both living with disabilities, Robert did everything he could to keep a roof over their heads.
0:11:27
For six years, they cycled through shelters, living without a kitchen, without privacy, without peace.
0:11:34
We asked how he got through it.
0:11:36
He said faith.
0:11:37
He never gave up hope.
0:11:39
Last year, that hope was answered.
0:11:41
In 2024, we placed Robert and his family into a brand new affordable two bedroom at Gree Point Landing with on-site support from breaking ground and brand new furniture through a city program, a real home fully theirs.
0:11:57
When Robert stepped inside alone for the first time, he cried.
0:12:01
Not because he was fancy, but because after six long years he could finally give his family a safe, stable place to call home.
0:12:09
Robert is who we fight for and the millions of other New Yorkers like him, those who are struggling now and those who might need us tomorrow.
0:12:18
So my hope is that my testimony today will serve both as a state of housing in New York City as well as a call to action because the mandate is clear and the work is far from done.