Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Vishnu Reddy, Member of the Public advocating specific ULURP and agency reforms
2:28:12
·
178 sec
Sunnyside resident Vishnu Reddy urges bold charter reforms, citing the lengthy delay of the Just Home supportive housing project as evidence of flawed processes. He proposes consolidating ULURP advisory reviews under Borough President leadership, merging related city agencies like DCP and HPD, streamlining approvals for affordable housing on public land, and ensuring fair share contributions from exclusionary neighborhoods.
- Reddy uses the Just Home project to illustrate process failures.
- Recommends BP-led consolidated advisory review.
- Suggests merging DCP and HPD for better coordination.
- Advocates for faster processing of affordable housing on public land.
- Calls for fair share housing requirements for all neighborhoods.
Vishnu Reddy
2:28:12
Hi.
2:28:12
My name is Vishnu Reddy, and I live in Sunnyside.
2:28:15
I'm here to ask the commission to push for bold reforms to the charter that meet the moment in the face of an intense house housing crisis that's decades in the making.
2:28:23
I'm so grateful that we pass an important milestone with City of Yes, but we need to keep the momentum going if you wanna have any hope of relief for New Yorkers who struggle to live here.
2:28:33
We need government to act to get us the housing we need, but it's clear now more than ever that, the processes set forth decades ago are holding us back from solving the crisis.
2:28:45
A clear example of how current process keeps shooting ourselves in the foot is with the just home project in The Bronx.
2:28:51
It's very clear that the city has a dire need for supportive housing, and the Just Home project is a slam dunk in that regard.
2:28:58
The process to get Just Home across the finish line has taken years, and we still have no idea if and when it's gonna get approved.
2:29:05
More than two years ago, Bronx C B 11 had a hearing about Just Home where my friends were harassed and faced threats of violence for simply being in favor of the project.
2:29:15
More than one year ago, Just Home finally made it to the council, but the council has stalled on it because they are not bound to any time constraint.
2:29:23
The fact that we still have no clue what's happening with the project after so long is ridiculous.
2:29:29
I'd like the Charter Revision Commission to pursue reforms that'll help us do better to deliver homes for New Yorkers, and there are some key reforms I think would help.
2:29:38
We should consolidate the advisory review phase of any housing project into a single process led by the borough president.
2:29:44
The way we currently do advisory reviews is not working, and I'm sick of attending screaming matches in church basements run by unelected people to get an apartment building built.
2:29:55
Borough presidents are much more well resourced and have more experienced staff that can help run these community input processes better, and by consolidating the process, we can avoid needless slowdowns to progress.
2:30:08
We should look at consolidating city agencies like DCP and HPD that do a lot of related work so they can more effectively tackle the housing crisis by having a clear and aligned direction.
2:30:20
I'm so grateful to the amazing public servants that are working hard to solve this existential problem for our city, and I believe that consolidating efforts around housing under a single agency would help them serve us better, especially with the staffing shortages in the city right now.
2:30:38
I'd also love to see affordable housing on public land get a more streamlined process so we can deliver the housing New Yorkers need to stay and thrive in the city.
2:30:48
Whenever I go to community board meetings on housing, I hear my neighbors mention the clear need for more affordable housing, and they are completely right.
2:30:56
Lastly, I'd like to see reforms that make exclusionary low growth neighborhoods contribute their fair share when it comes to housing supply.
2:31:03
Thank you for tackling such an important issue for our city, and I'm looking forward to voting yes on much needed reforms on my ballot.