Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Hannah Anousheh, Campaigns Director of East New York Community Land Trust
4:12:49
·
136 sec
Hannah Anousheh, Campaigns Director of East New York Community Land Trust, presented the organization's achievements since its founding in 2020. She highlighted their work in combating displacement, helping residents with tax lien sales, organizing flood-prone areas, and acquiring a multi-family building to convert into a co-op.
- The organization has operated on limited funding ($98,000/year) and minimal staff, showcasing efficient use of resources.
- They are requesting the city council to double the Community Land Trust (CLT) initiative funding to at least $3 million.
- With increased funding, they aim to expand their efforts in helping tenants take control of their buildings, supporting low-income homeowners, and developing resilient community-led planning.
Hannah Anousheh
4:12:49
Thank you.
4:12:49
Move it closer.
4:12:52
Good afternoon council members.
4:12:55
My name is Hannah Anouche and I'm the campaigns director for the East New York Community Land Trust.
4:13:00
Myself along with many community leaders were able to found the East York Community Land Trust in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic to combat displacement.
4:13:11
In just five years, we've built out a powerful member led vanguard organization with a disciplined democratic structure.
4:13:19
Not only that, but we've helped thousands of residents get off the tax lien sale and connected them with resources to address complicated title issues.
4:13:29
We've organized residents in the Jewel Streets, otherwise known as The Hole, an area extremely flood prone without connection to city sewer, and we launched a neighborhood resilient planning effort along with council member banks, HPD, DEP, and DOT.
4:13:47
And we made history as the first CLT in New York City to acquire a multi family building from a private landlord that was not maintaining the building.
4:13:58
Now we're in the process of stabilizing the building, working with HPD to prepare for the rehab, which will include moving from number two oil to electric.
4:14:07
But most importantly, after the rehab, all of the tenants of the building will become co op shareholders and will gain collective control of the management of their building with the permanent support of our community land trust.
4:14:22
And we did all that with only 98,000 a year from the city council, and a staff of one, myself, for a long time, and now thankfully two.
4:14:31
So imagine what we could do if the funding was tripled.
4:14:35
We have a we've built a strong model that works.
4:14:38
We've helped many tenants we can help so many more tenants take collective control of their buildings, support so many more low income homeowners, and develop a framework for real resilient community led planning and develop development for the most vulnerable flood prone communities.
4:14:56
But we need more funding.
4:14:58
We ask you to double the CLT initiative funding to the tune of at least 3,000,000.
4:15:03
Thank you so much for your time.