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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Olivia Killingsworth, Member of the Public supporting fast-tracked affordable housing and inclusive stakeholder engagement
3:07:03
·
151 sec
Olivia Killingsworth, a former resident of subsidized affordable housing and a union actor, speaks in favor of fast-tracking affordable and mixed-income housing projects that meet fair housing goals, emphasizing that delays deny needed housing. She also stresses the importance of including construction unions and other stakeholders like formerly homeless individuals in housing policy discussions.
- Killingsworth highlights personal experience living in 100% affordable housing.
- Advocates fast-tracking qualifying affordable projects ('housing delayed is housing denied').
- As a union member (SAG-AFTRA/AEA), supports inclusion of construction unions, community members, artists, and formerly homeless people in the process.
Olivia Killingsworth
3:07:03
Hi.
3:07:05
Hey.
3:07:06
Thanks for hearing from me.
3:07:09
I'm calling in as a member of the Brooklyn community.
3:07:13
Actually away right now.
3:07:15
I'm out of the country, but, this matters to me so much.
3:07:18
I'll take a break from my vacation to call y'all.
3:07:21
And, just speak in support of a lot of the different proposals that have come before you tonight in favor of fast tracking, affordable housing and other types of, mixed income and subsidized housing that meets, the fair housing framework and other community goals for affordable housing.
3:07:39
I'm saying that as someone who is a former resident of a % affordable subsidized housing.
3:07:45
I used to live at the Skirmerhorn in Downtown Brooklyn, breaking ground property.
3:07:50
And, I qualified for that because I'm a low income artist or I was a
Sharon Greenberger
3:07:55
low income
Olivia Killingsworth
3:07:55
artist.
3:07:58
I've been a professional actor for over twenty years.
3:08:01
And, half my neighbors were also low income artists.
3:08:04
The other half were formerly homeless individuals.
3:08:07
So I'm very happy to see my friend, Shams, on the on the panel tonight, and I'm glad that you're a part of this discussion.
3:08:16
Time is money in housing development.
3:08:19
The building that I lived in, it took a long, long time for it to be approved and built and shovels in the ground.
3:08:27
So, in, housing advocacy, we say housing delayed is housing denied.
3:08:34
So anything that this revision commission can do to consider fast tracking the process for the approval of, housing that is a % affordable or mixed income subsidized, that can make our subsidy dollars go further and create more housing for early career and emerging artists like myself.
3:08:52
I mean, at the time, I was early career.
3:08:55
And then just lastly, as, a union member for twenty years, I'm a member of SAG AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association.
3:09:02
I wanna just boost all of the other union members who've come before you tonight.
3:09:07
I think it really is important to include them in these discussions.
3:09:12
They do the work.
3:09:13
They build the housing.
3:09:15
They're the experts.
3:09:16
So I think we have to keep affordability and speed in mind, but I also think that union members deserve a place at the table just as formerly homeless New Yorkers do, just as, members of the community do, the broader community.
3:09:33
So thank you so much for your time.