Steven Toro, Tracy Towers resident, testifies on subsidy ineligibility and displacement risk

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

It's a very thoughtful suggestion, so we appreciate it.

Can I get one more of your sheets?

Yes.

For the record.

Okay, and next we have, wait, this one.

Okay.

Faisal Yusufu, Lami Yusuf, and Mamalo Yusufu.

If you guys are here.

Some of them left.

Okay.

Okay, if anyone else is here that did not sign up, if you guys could raise your hands.

Okay, so if there's no one else, we're going to move over to our Zoom.

There's one or how many folks?

Two?

One.

Three.

Okay.

There's three folks on Zoom.

Oh, you had to test it.

Oh, yeah.

Okay, yeah, if you want to come to the front, and then we'll get your information afterwards.

If you could just state your name and where you're from.

My name is Steven Toro.

I live at Tracy Towers.

And as we talked about before, our management brought in the city of New York, which we call HPD.

HPD was trying to tell us that we could sign up for the SNAP program.

It doesn't feasible for me to sign for a SNAP program because my wife still works, but I'm retired.

I'm over that $70,000 budget.

When she files a tax return, I file with her.

It puts me in a hole.

I can't afford to go back to work.

I'm disabled.

I'm going to lose my apartment because my wife can't make more money than what she's making now.

So this band-aid that they offer us, I don't need it.

I don't want it.

Give it to somebody less fortunate, but help our building.

That's all I ask.

I'm not begging for a handout.

I'm just saying work with us.

I remember when I was young that I worked with organizations to help bring back our community.

I was known as a tenant organizer for Bronx Neighborhood Community Corporation.

Phase one of the Bronx system, two, three, and four.

We rebuilt all abandoned buildings.

We took...

unemployed workers from the street to rebuild these built-up buildings back in the 70s into the 80s.

Why can't we do that now?

We don't need HPD.

HPD is a band-aid.

It's a systemic problem for our city.

It should be taken out.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Okay, so I don't know if there's anyone else seeing.

I think that's everyone who's here in person.

We're going to move to...

Wait, what is this?

Okay.

Oh, okay, okay.

Got it.

We're going to move over to Zoom, and I believe we have Sam Moskowitz.

Oh, wait, hold on.

I'm so sorry.

There's something I'm supposed to read beforehand.

My bad.

So thank you to all who came here to share your thoughts and experiences.

If there is, oh, yeah, this one.

Anyone in the chamber?

Yeah.

The hearing room who has not spoken but wishes to speak.

And not had the opportunity to do so, please raise your hand, fill out the card as this gentleman did.

And going over to Zoom, if you're currently on Zoom and wish to speak but have not yet had the opportunity to do so, oh wait, so we have one or two folks on.

And for folks that are on that maybe have not signed up, if you could just raise your hand as well so we can make sure to capture you, that would be great.