Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Annemarie Gray, Executive Director from Open New York on specific charter reform proposals for housing equity
1:47:47
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166 sec
Annemarie Gray presents five charter reform proposals from Open New York aimed at creating a fairer and more affordable city through increased housing production. The proposals include fast-tracking fair housing projects, streamlining ULURP reviews, expediting affordable housing on public land, incorporating housing needs into landmarks decisions, and strengthening city agencies.
- Gray represents Open New York, a pro-housing advocacy group.
- Key proposals:
- A 'Fair Housing Fast Track' (like a builder's remedy) in exclusionary neighborhoods.
- Consolidating Community Board and Borough President ULURP reviews under BP oversight.
- An expedited process for developing affordable housing on city-owned land.
- Requiring the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to consider housing impacts.
- Updating agency roles and accountability for better housing outcomes.
Annemarie Gray
1:47:47
Thank you.
1:47:47
My name is Ann Marie Gray.
1:47:48
I'm the executive director of Open New York, an independent grassroots pro housing nonprofit with hundreds of volunteer members across the state and city.
1:47:57
So there's been so much fantastic expert testimony.
1:48:00
We are really focused on how do we build, more homes.
1:48:03
We really strongly believe displacement, exclusion, tenant harassment, homelessness are all exacerbated by this housing shortage, and that for far too long, many of the most well resourced, parts of the city have been essentially off limits to helping solve the problem.
1:48:17
Jumping in that we, went ahead and released a policy brief yesterday called a charter for housing equity, five reforms for a fair and more affordable NYC, which I encourage you to read in full.
1:48:28
A really quick summary of the five ideas that we put out there that we're very excited to discuss.
1:48:33
One, create a fast track for fair housing.
1:48:35
So we need a new approvals process for proposals that would advance for housing in our most transit rich, climate resilient, and low growth neighborhoods in line with the implementation of Speaker Adams' fair housing framework to ensure that it has real teeth.
1:48:48
In these wells, well resourced neighborhoods, often the whitest, wealthiest neighborhoods, we must fast track approvals to remove the ability for local council member to block new homes.
1:48:58
These reforms are actually really common in other states.
1:49:00
They're often known as builders' remedies in correcting for this imbalance.
1:49:03
Number two, streamline advisory reviews in ULERP.
1:49:07
This is actually in line with the Citizens Budget Commission recommendation as well.
1:49:11
Local input into the city's land use review process prioritizes those with the most time, money, and connections.
1:49:17
And actually, many places around the country have adopted better community engagement practices that are more representative and less reactionary.
1:49:24
So we should combine the separate community board and borough president advisory reviews in ULRP, bring them together with additional borough president oversight, improve techniques, and a borough wide lens.
1:49:35
Three, make public land work for affordable housing.
1:49:38
So city is by far the largest landowner in the five boroughs, but turning city owned land into affordable housing is bureaucratic and slow.
1:49:45
We should establish an expedited process to do just that.
1:49:49
Four, factor housing needs into landmarks decisions.
1:49:51
The Landmarks Preservation Commission is actually limited by the charter itself and what factors it can consider in making critical decisions.
1:49:58
And this is especially severe in the city's most well resourced neighborhoods.
1:50:02
So we should ensure that housing affordability and availability are part of the discussion when LPC makes its decisions.
1:50:09
Five, strengthen city agencies for better results.
1:50:12
The charter has not actually updated the roles and responsibility of agencies to face 20 century challenges, so we should allow stronger oversight and accountability to increase its effectiveness.
1:50:20
We have a couple specific ideas, in the report itself.
1:50:24
So we have a rare chance to reform the charter, so every New Yorker has a fair shot at living where they choose.
1:50:29
We're looking forward to continuing working with you, and thank you.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
1:50:31
Thank you so much.