CM Canasio Q&A: Mangin on unit size, family housing, and transparency measures

And we also talked about the vacancy rate having to build a lot more.

I've had many conversations through the land use process where we're constantly

weighing out the amount of new units versus the size of those units.

In neighborhoods like mine, we're not just talking about two and three bedrooms, and sometimes we need three and four bedrooms for the families that live in our communities.

So how do you see that as, or what kind of importance do you

put weight on when it comes to

The actual makeup of the unit versus the amount of units that we're just trying to get online?

Thank you for the question.

I think it's incredibly important.

It's back to the fair housing focus, back to trying to support housing choice.

That means housing of all types.

There is a dire need for smaller units.

In New York City, for people who want to live alone but don't have the opportunity, there's also a dire need for family-sized units as well.

And I think we as policymakers in New York City are constantly conscious of, you know,

the ways that policies can interfere with the full range of housing choices, and in some instances trying to support, say, more family-sized units

in affordable housing created through zoning to make sure that at least 50% are two-bedroom or more, things like that.

So it's a huge concern, one that we're constantly monitoring and one that I would...

Would stay focused on at BSA.

And talk to us about, right?

Sure.

Yeah.

Awesome.

Love that.

And then in terms of, you know, outside of the amazing website that you're going to build for us that I'm looking forward to, what other transparency measures

are you looking to put forth in the BSA to make sure that all of us, community members, everyone's engaged with the process and where things and projects are through the process?

Thank you for the question.

In addition to an accessible website, one that you don't need to be a practitioner to understand, I've also admired ways that the City Planning Commission has become more transparent in recent years.

Even things as simple as like,

doing a roadmap at the head of a meeting.

Like here are all the agenda items that we're gonna do today so that people who are there to testify or participate understand what's happening and why.

I mean, that's crucial.

I've also mentioned wanting to do trainings for community groups around what the BSA is, what it does, and how to participate.

Now, you can't guarantee that anybody's going to use that and show up.

But when that controversial application comes through, like, I want the infrastructure to be there for those members of the community to participate.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

I'd like to now pass it on to Council Member Hanif.