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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Selvena Brooks-Powers, Majority Whip of the New York City Council, on preserving council's land use role
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3 min
Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers testifies against limiting the City Council's role in the land use process, arguing it would disenfranchise communities, especially working-class communities of color.
She highlights the Ocean Crest rezoning in Far Rockaway as an example where council involvement led to a 100% affordable homeownership project.
Brooks-Powers asserts that ULURP itself isn't the bottleneck, pointing instead to delays in pre-certification (environmental review) and post-approval (HPD financing).
Selvena Brooks-Powers
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Hi.
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Can you hear me?
0:28:34
Hi.
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Good evening.
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I am New York City Council Majority Whip, Selvina Brooks Powers, proudly representing the 30 First Council District in Southeast Queens.
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I thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
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Let me be clear.
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Removing or limiting the city council's role in the land use process would disenfranchise countless voices, particularly for working class communities of color that have too often been left out of decisions that shape our neighborhoods.
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Council members are the closest connection many New Yorkers have to city government, as my colleague had shared earlier, and we listen to our communities not only when a development application comes up, but every day in between.
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We are intimately familiar with every block of our district.
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More importantly, we know the people that make up these blocks and these communities.
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That proximity allows us to broker real solutions that reflect both citywide needs and neighborhood priorities.
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A perfect example of that is the Ocean Crest rezoning in Far Rockaway.
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This proposal had stiff opposition at first from neighbors due to the density proposed.
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Working with my colleagues and community partners, we transformed what could have been a typical rental development into the first one hundred percent affordable homeownership project in the Rockaways in more than a decade.
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Eighty nine eighty nine families, many of them longtime residents, will now have an opportunity to own a home in a city that has made home ownership increasingly inaccessible, especially for black New Yorkers.
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That's equity in action.
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That's generational wealth.
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And that kind of result simply would not have happened without local leadership guiding the ULURP process.
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Beyond this project, I've approved four other housing projects in my district for a total of over 2,300 units, 2,000 of which are affordable.
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For all of these projects, I was able to broker promises that alleviated community concerns while also improving the proposals.
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It's been said that the EULIP process delays housing production, but the delays don't happen during the council's review.
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We have a short fifty day window to act.
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They happen long before certification and long after approval, during environmental review, and when projects sit in line for HPD financing.
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Let's address those bottlenecks rather than dismantling one of the few avenues where communities still have a seat at the table.
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The council's involvement has made projects better, whether that's securing homeownership opportunities, supporting local hiring, or protecting open space.
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Our role should be strengthened, not sidelined.
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I do not agree with those that view the ULURP process and the negotiations as obstacles.
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The ULURP process is a cornerstone of our democracy, allowing everyday residents to have a role in shaping their community.
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I urge the commission to focus on reforms that expand inclusion, builds trust in the process, and accelerate housing in ways that don't sacrifice community input or equity.
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Once again, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
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Yes.
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We can.
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Thank you so much.