Councilmember Farías supports 1160 Pugsley Avenue rezoning with fresh green market

Good morning.

Thank you, Chair Lewis and members of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises.

I'm excited to speak today in support of the 1160 Pugsley Avenue rezoning, a project I'm proud to advance and vote yes on because it delivers 104 affordable homes, including family-sized apartments, neighborhoods serving retail,

outdoor recreation space, 32 parking spaces, and a fresh green market that strengthens food access for our communities.

With rents outpacing what working families can afford and the Bronx continuing to carry some of the city's heaviest rent burdens and tens of thousands of New Yorkers still sleeping in shelters each night, we have to be critical about how we get to the solution.

We need to build more housing, make sure that housing is connected to affordability, support family stability, and meet the everyday needs of New Yorkers.

A lot of thought, intention, and discourse went into getting us to this point.

I have had ongoing conversations with this developer about what this project needs to deliver because anyone who knows me knows that if a proposal is not taking a multifaceted approach to solving some of the greatest overarching problems in my district, I will always have some feedback.

And in this case, the developer took all of those recommendations seriously.

Affordability has to be measured by the full reality families are carrying every day, rent, groceries, transportation, access to healthier options, and the ability to remain in the neighborhoods where new development helps meet real community needs.

The housing model for this project includes much-needed flexibility within HPD's term sheets with MIH options 1 or 2, which are competitive ranges for residents and our area, which helps contribute to

a stronger rent affordability ecosystem for the residents we're trying to reach.

When housing is paired with family-sized units, neighborhood retail, and access to fresh food, we are creating a project that supports more than one part of a family's budget and daily life.

As I've said before, District 18 has every reason to be excited, as I am about the proposed fresh green market included in this project, with roughly 10,900 square feet reserved for grocery use.

This is a serious investment in food access for a district where food deserts remain a serious issue.

For too long, the options for food and groceries in our community have been too limited, not always the healthiest and not always the most affordable.

Families should not have to travel outside of their neighborhood to find fresh food.

Seniors should not have to struggle to access basic groceries close to home or even take multiple forms of transportation to access that.

Working people should not be left with fewer options and higher prices because their community has been underserved.

With the passage of this project,

We're building new housing and continuing to transform the food landscape of our community for the better.

A fresh green market at this site means families will have more choice, better access, and a stronger neighborhood grocery option close to home.

It helps move us away from a food landscape where residents are forced to rely on whatever limited options are nearby and towards one where healthier food access and competitive pricing are a part of the same affordability conversation.

That is how we take on the affordability crisis seriously.

Rent, groceries, transportation, and neighborhood services are all part of the same household budget.

We have to move projects that can help address more than one pressure at a time.

We fight for housing.

We fight for food access.

We fight for local retail.

We fight for developments that add value to the lives of the people already here.

That's why I'm proud to vote yes on this application and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Today, we're moving forward with a project that brings affordable homes, family-sized apartments, healthier food options, and neighborhood-serving retail together under one roof.

This is the action we should be taking when New Yorkers are asking us to make the city more affordable, more livable, and more responsive to the needs of working families.

Thank you, Chair Lewis.

Again, my colleagues of the subcommittee, Council Land Use staff, and the Willing Development team to join us in tackling New York's housing crisis together.

Thank you, Council Member.