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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Iziah Thompson, Representative from Community Service Society of New York on NYCHA and Public Housing Issues
4:31:04
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160 sec
Iziah Thompson from the Community Service Society of New York testified about the critical state of public housing in New York City, emphasizing the need for increased funding and attention to NYCHA residents' living conditions. He highlighted potential federal budget cuts, rule changes threatening public housing, and the city's inadequate response in the executive budget.
- Shared survey results showing widespread issues with temperature control and air quality in NYCHA homes
- Highlighted health disparities, including higher rates of asthma hospitalizations among public housing residents
- Called for $4 billion in capital for NYCHA this year and $2 billion annually during the Trump administration
Iziah Thompson
4:31:04
Good afternoon Chair Banks and Brennan and members of the committees.
4:31:09
My name is Isaiah Thompson.
4:31:10
I'm with the Community Service Society of New York.
4:31:13
And since the inception of our organization, we've worked on issues that impact NYCHA residents.
4:31:19
And I think in that time, I don't think there's ever been a scarier moment for public housing residents in New York City.
4:31:25
You're aware of the cuts that are coming from the Trump administration's skinny budget, but it's really clear that in addition to the budget, there are rule changes that are coming down that are very draconian, that are really trying to do what many presidents in the past have tried to do on both sides, which is to end public housing as we know it, and that's quoting Bill Clinton.
4:31:46
Alwyny just passed a budget that doesn't even attempt to meet this moment, and it's really up to the city to step up, and we don't feel like this executive budget does that.
4:31:55
You have my full testimony here, which you can read, but includes sort of results and reflections from many of the resident votes that have been happening that we've been working on that I think you will find of interest, how section nine tenants are really being left behind, the need to support the preservation trusts, and we have new data that speaks to the experience of RAD PAC residents as well.
4:32:20
And ultimately, our call for this year for $4,000,000,000 in capital for NYCHA and 2,000,000,000 of every year of the Trump administration.
4:32:29
It's really hard to hear this earlier, sort of like the calm tenor and how things are advancing at NYCHA.
4:32:36
It doesn't really square with everything that I've seen every day.
4:32:39
The last year, we we did a survey.
4:32:42
I'm gonna share some of the results.
4:32:44
82% of residents say that their homes are uncomfortably hot in the summer, and one in three said that that was all summer long.
4:32:51
46% were cold in the winter, and that's forty forty of those were cold for most or all of the winter.
4:32:58
And nearly half reported serious air quality issues inside their homes.
4:33:02
Beyond our survey, the rates of preventable asthma hospitalizations is more than three times higher for public housing residents than citywide.
4:33:11
In districts with 10 or more NYCHA developments, childhood asthma emergency room visits are 3.6 higher than ones with no public housing in them.
4:33:22
So really, this is a health crisis.
4:33:25
In the testimony, I have a picture of what the average boiler looks like in a NYCHA development.
4:33:33
Seems really simple.
4:33:34
The question is, like, from NYCHA, from the city, why in the next two years can't NYCHA be giving the money and forced to replace every single one of these?
4:33:43
Thank you for your time.