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Q&A
ULURP carve-outs, resource constraints, and equity implications
1:23:41
·
127 sec
Commissioner Anthony Richardson asks Jessica Katz about potential ULURP carve-outs for affordable housing, considering bottlenecks like funding scarcity.
Katz advocates working on both process reforms and resource issues simultaneously.
She argues that the current ULURP negotiation dynamics exacerbate inequity, as well-resourced neighborhoods can simply block projects, while less affluent neighborhoods must trade concessions for basic needs, suggesting a more citywide approach could improve equity.
Anthony Richardson
1:23:41
Think thank you both for your testimony, first of all.
1:23:43
I have a question for miss Katz.
1:23:45
Given your specific experience, I wanna get your thoughts about something and wanna connect kinda two points that have been made.
1:23:53
So I think you've heard the suggestion that there could be tweaks to EULRP or carve outs for certain things, and you, you know, talked about this idea of elevating, certain rights.
1:24:08
And some of that speaks to, in my mind, at least, the idea that there could be a consensus, that there could be certain things such as all affordable proposals that have a level of significance or are critical enough that we could all agree that they could be in this carve out.
1:24:27
At the same time, we've heard testimony that says that, well, there are bottlenecks in the system that have to do with the scarcity of funding or bonding capacity and the like.
1:24:40
So I want to hear from you.
1:24:44
Do the idea of carve outs in light of the other constraints exacerbate the problem, or could you what what do you think about that?
Jessica Katz
1:24:57
I mean, I think we have to work on both tracks.
1:24:59
I think in housing, we're not gonna find that one single solution that's gonna solve the problem.
1:25:04
I do think in terms of some of the negotiations that go around on ULURP, I think the way that that functions right now actually exacerbates some of the equity concerns across the city.
1:25:14
Right?
1:25:14
Like, a well heeled neighborhood does not need to beg for parks funding or education funding or a day care center in exchange for blocking a ULURP, they just block the ULURP.
1:25:24
Whereas it's those neighborhoods that do need to kind of beg for those resources because they lack them that engage in that kind of negotiation, whereas the ones that already have the resources just say no in the first place.
1:25:35
So I do think that the equity issues are exacerbated by the fact that we have this member deference and there's so much inequality across the city.
1:25:42
And I think that a more citywide or a borough wide approach would actually improve some of those equity issues.