ANHD 2016 Building the Community Development Movement
Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced new commissioner appointments to lead his Housing and Economic Development team. The new commissioners will lead the critical task of shaping the direction of housing, land use, and job growth of NYC neighborhoods for the next phase of the de Blasio Administration.
ANHD would like to congratulate the new appointees. Maria Torres-Springer will serve as the new Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). James Patchett will be appointed as President and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). And as announced last week, Marisa Lago will serve as the new Commissioner of the Department of City Planning (DCP).
The Mayor’s housing, land use, and economic development goals are central elements of his pledge to “build a more equitable city.” We all share the goal of having historically ambitious and successful programs that can advance both equity and growth in a way that will truly benefit all New Yorkers. The strategies this Administration has used to foster those programs has also generated some local community tension, and the challenge for the new commissioners will be to embrace some key lessons from the first three years.
These new appointments bring their strong and impressive career experiences to help move their agencies forward by both continuing the work of their predecessors and fully embracing Mayor de Blasio’s central pledge to “building a more equitable city.”
Housing, land use, and economic development are central – and often contentious – areas of the Mayor’s policy. This new leadership will play a crucial role in drafting the policies and programs to get us to the shared goal of an equitable and historically successful program.
ANHD would like to thank outgoing Commissioner Vicki Been and Commissioner Carl Weisbrod for their service to our City.
We look forward to working with and engaging this new leadership team in their new roles on the goal of achieving a more equitable city and opportunities for all New Yorkers. ANHD believes that our ability to achieve this goal will have a tremendous impact on the future success of our NYC neighborhoods and communities. Together we can build and create real, permanent affordable housing, stabilize neighborhoods, grow jobs for NY’s under- and unemployed, and plan with neighborhoods for their future. Together we can build and create real, permanent affordable housing, stabilize neighborhoods, grow jobs for NY’s under- and unemployed, and plan with neighborhoods for their future.