Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
REMARKS
Chair Richard R. Buery Jr. on the Charter Revision Commission's focus on housing and planning
0:00:00
·
4 min
Richard R. Buery Jr., Chair of the Charter Revision Commission, opens the public hearing, introducing himself and the commission's purpose. He emphasizes the commission's independence and its focus on reviewing the city charter, particularly concerning housing and planning, in light of New York City's significant challenges like the affordability crisis.
- Buery highlights his personal background in Brooklyn and his career focused on children, families, and poverty reduction in New York.
- He stresses the importance of hearing from a broad spectrum of voices (experts, residents, leaders, officials) to ensure recommendations reflect the city's diversity.
- The commission aims to make recommendations that voters will ultimately decide on, with a particular focus on making the city more inclusive and affordable.
- The hearing will specifically focus on housing and land use.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:00:00
Welcome to this public hearing of the Charter Revision Commission.
0:00:03
My name is Richard Bury.
0:00:05
I have the honor of chairing the commission.
0:00:08
And, since it's our first real hearing, taking testimony, we would love to just take a minute to introduce myself quickly.
0:00:14
I am a Brooklyn native, so it's good to be in my home, Borough.
0:00:18
I was raised in East New York, Brooklyn.
0:00:20
My parents were immigrants from Panama.
0:00:23
The son of a public school teacher, my mom taught public school at East New York High School for transit technology for almost forty years before retiring, teaching Spanish and ESL.
0:00:32
And, I've been really lucky to spend my entire career here in New York working on behalf of children and families, started a mentoring program with honor to lead the children's aid society for several years, served as a deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio where I was able to lead initiatives such as the expansion of pre k and currently serve as CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, which is a a foundation whose mission is to fight poverty in New York.
0:01:01
And so I'm really excited to have the opportunity to chair this commission because in so many ways, I think our task is so much aligned with my life's work of trying to make New York a better place for all.
0:01:12
And, of course, our timing couldn't be better given the significant challenges our city faces.
0:01:17
But despite those challenges, I remain bullish in our on our capacity to do better and to do more, and and even the energy in this room is a great reminder that, you know, we can accomplish big things together when we come together.
0:01:30
And so I'm excited to have the opportunity to lead our work to think about how we can make sure that New York remains a center of opportunity that it was for my parents when they came here about sixty years ago.
0:01:42
What did it mean to have a charter that promises a more inclusive city?
0:01:48
Obviously, we're a city of multitudes.
0:01:51
We have every political persuasion.
0:01:53
8,000,000 people, double that many opinions, and that, diversity can make things hard.
0:01:59
It can make it hard to govern, hard to come together, and and find the path forward.
0:02:04
And I think one of the challenges of this commission is to make sure that as we review the charter that we are creating, an opportunity to hear everyone's voices.
0:02:15
Our charter work, of course, is is ultimately about making a series of recommendations.
0:02:20
Any recommendations that we make have to come to the voters, for election.
0:02:26
And I know that as a commission, we're really excited about making sure that we, hear the broader spectrum of voices so that when we make any recommendations, their recommendation that really reflect the best judgment, the best idea that we've heard over the next few months.
0:02:42
This is, of course, the first of many public hearings, and, we're looking forward to hearing from experts, residents, community leaders, elected officials, and truly anyone who wishes to test testify.
0:02:57
And the last thing I will note is that although we were appointed by the mayor, this is very much an independent commission, which means that we are free to make our own judgment.
0:03:05
In fact, we are required to and bound to make our own judgments, and to pursue ideas regardless of where they came from or who supports them or who opposes them.
0:03:14
Joining me in this task are 12 other commissioners, vice chair Sharon Greenberg, secretary Leila Bozorg, Grace Bonilla, Sam de Baron, who I oh, Sam de Baron, who I'm not sure is here today, Anita Lermont, doctor Lizette Nieves, Anthony Richardson, Julia Samuels, who I believe is joining us online, Diane Savino, Carl Weisbrod, Valerie White, and Catherine Waugh.
0:03:44
As I said, one of the task of the Charter Commission is to review the entire charter, but one of the things that we are planning to do is take a particularly close look at the charter's approach to housing and planning.
0:03:56
Of course, there can be no more urgent challenge for us to take up.
0:04:01
As we all know in this room, our city is in the midst of a profound affordability crisis.
0:04:06
For millions of low income New Yorkers, housing costs are the central struggle of their lives.
0:04:11
And for millions more, especially low income New Yorkers, our housing crisis severely limits where New Yorkers can live, what school they can attend, how they can get to work, and whether their families can stay together.
0:04:23
So I don't think it's hyperbolic to say that the future of housing is the future of New York City, and really determines what kind of city we will be and for whom.
0:04:34
I think our city have made recent strides, have made significant strides recently under the leadership of our mayor and the city council and the tireless advocacy of countless advocates.
0:04:45
Reforms such as the city of yes for housing opportunity really do, I think, set the stage for good work, but all acknowledge there is far more work to be done.
0:04:55
Today's hearing will focus on that topic in particular.