Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Hadaryah Morgan from the Center for Urban Community Services on supportive housing development challenges
2:27:33
·
3 min
Hadaryah Morgan, COO of the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), describes their extensive work developing and operating supportive housing with comprehensive on-site services in the Bronx and across NYC.
She highlights the proven success of the model but details the significant challenges posed by lengthy ULURP and procurement processes (6-10 year project timelines), which increase costs and uncertainty. Morgan advocates for streamlined processes, centering the voices of residents, and prioritizing deeply affordable housing, noting that current delays and neighborhood opposition prevent needed projects from moving forward.
- CUCS provides supportive housing with integrated services (medical, mental health, employment) in mixed-use buildings.
- Long development timelines (6-10 years) due to ULURP and procurement issues significantly increase costs and risk.
- CUCS supports streamlining ULURP and procurement processes.
- Known opposition prevents consideration of projects in certain neighborhoods.
- Advocates centering resident voices and prioritizing extremely low-income (ELI) affordability.
Hadaryah Morgan
2:27:33
Thank you.
2:27:36
You.
2:27:36
Good evening.
2:27:37
My name is Hadaria Morgan.
2:27:38
I serve as the COO for the Center for Urban Community Services, CUCS.
2:27:43
Thank you, chair Buri, and members of the, commission for providing me with the opportunity to offer to you the provider perspective and to talk with you about the vital work that CUCS does for supportive housing in The Bronx and throughout the City Of New York.
2:27:59
Throughout its thirty two year history, CUCS has helped thousands of New Yorkers rise from poverty, exit homelessness, and be healthy.
2:28:07
We provide supportive housing.
2:28:10
We provide case management services, social services.
2:28:13
CUCS's evidence based model provides on-site medical, primary care, and psychiatric services, employment services, financial literacy, and empowerment services.
2:28:24
Here in The Bronx, CUCS provides services at five permanent affordable housing, supportive housing residences, four of which we own, three of which we self developed.
2:28:34
We've developed over 350 units, which provide housing to 200 families and a 65 individuals.
2:28:42
As a pioneer of the movement, we've been adamant that our residences reflect the neighborhood.
2:28:48
So we have mixed use residences, families, single adults, seniors, all living within the same building.
2:28:55
We look like the neighborhood, and we start engagement years before a shovel hits the dirt.
2:29:02
We remain committed to supportive housing because we know what study after study has proven, that it's the most effective way to combat housing insecurity and homelessness.
2:29:11
We support changes to the charter that actually streamline the EULAR process and procurement processes to ease the burdens faced by nonprofits who build and provide affordable and supportive housing.
2:29:23
To continue the Brown v board, analogies, justice delayed is justice denied.
2:29:29
Some of our most impactful projects have taken six to ten years to build.
2:29:34
In that time, building codes have changed.
2:29:36
There have been new green, standards.
2:29:39
Energy and construction costs have increased.
2:29:41
Carrying costs have mounted.
2:29:43
And by the way, the cost of labor has increased.
2:29:46
The cost of security, the cost of superintendents, the cost of porters, the cost of the vital professionals who provide these services.
2:29:54
This affects, this affects underwriting.
2:29:57
This affects contracting.
2:29:59
So, again, a a streamlined process is incredibly important.
2:30:05
And as another colleague mentioned, there are absolute projects that we look at in neighborhoods we know we'll never be able to build there.
2:30:12
So we really do need you to consider these changes to the Euler process.
2:30:16
We also think it's really important to center the voices of those who've lived in affordable and supportive housing residences and those who stand to benefit from the need for these services.
2:30:28
We hope that that process prioritizes the city's need for more affordable and supportive housing units.
2:30:33
We also second the emphasis on deep affordability, Ella income levels.
2:30:39
And thank you for allowing me to testify.
2:30:42
If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:30:44
Thank you so much for your testimony.