ANHD 2016 Building the Community Development Movement
Key Neighborhood Issues Raised
Today’s dramatic City Planning Commission hearing on the de Blasio zoning proposals leads us to the crucial next step in the land-use process when the City Council takes up its role to negotiate any final land use text before their vote early in early 2016. The two City proposed zoning programs – Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) and Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) – are centerpieces of the de Blasio housing agenda.
Community groups and residents were out this morning in a line that wrapped around the block to have their voices heard on these critical issues.
ANHD’s testimony on MIH and ZQA address the key neighborhood issues in each proposal:
CLICK HERE for ANHD’s testimony to the City Planning Commission on MIH.
The de Blasio Administration’s current MIH proposal misses the opportunity to create the guaranteed, truly affordable housing that many neighborhoods are demanding. The MIH proposal does not reflect or adequately serve the diverse range of incomes, populations or local communities or ensure that we are building sustainable inclusionary communities for all New Yorkers. Therefore, absent substantial changes that would guarantee truly affordable housing that neighborhoods and the city overall needs, ANHD cannot support the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) proposal.
CLICK HERE for ANHD’s testimony to the City Planning Commission on ZQA here.
While we do have some suggestions for improvement, and we acknowledge that the proposed text does mean some real trade-offs for communities, we believe the Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) proposal is worthy of support. The ZQA proposal reflects thoughtful and modest changes to encourage affordable and senior developments, while preserving the types of livable, mixed-use communities New Yorkers value. The ZQA proposal fits with ANHD’s belief that zoning changes should, in all cases, specifically encourage affordable housing development or other community benefits.
Furthermore ANHD deeply respects the community voices and feedback that have been expressed through the land use process and MIH and ZQA must be mindful of respecting these voices and take these concerns into account. We believe that both MIH & ZQA must be more than a one-size-fits-all solution. Not all local neighborhoods are the same, and the City’s land-use and affordability proposals should take these differences into account. There are a variety of valid concerns that have been raised throughout this the land-use process and the Administration’s final MIH and ZQA policy needs to take into account this community feedback.
Barika Williams, Deputy Director, ANHD