Public: Anne-Marie Gray (Open New York) strongly supports Mangin
Gray, executive director of Open New York, calls Mangin the most qualified person to run BSA, citing his decade at DCP, his commitment to fair housing, and his dedication to personally hearing every public comment during 13-plus hours of City of Yes testimony. She notes 50% of renters and 45% of homeowners are rent-burdened.
Good afternoon.
My name is Anne-Marie Gray.
I'm the executive director of Open New York.
We are a statewide grassroots pro-housing advocacy organization that advocates for more homes and lower rents.
Thank you, Chair Young and members of the committee for allowing me to testify.
I am in strong support of John Mangin's nomination to chair the Board of Standards and Appeals.
There is no one more qualified to run the BSA than John.
He spent more than a decade at Department of City Planning, where he worked so closely with council, as we heard, to address the housing crisis through neighborhood planning efforts, as well as crucial initiatives like mandatory inclusionary housing and City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.
I personally worked with John directly in my prior job in city government and have interacted with him as an advocate over the last four years.
And I truly cannot think of anyone more knowledgeable about land use, more committed to fair housing outcomes, or more dedicated to public service.
I really distinctly remember him sitting in this very room through every single hour of 13 plus hours of testimony, both at the City Planning Commission and City Council hearings for what would become City for All and City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.
And he did that so that he personally heard every public comment himself.
And that just is the type of practitioner that he is.
New Yorkers would be so lucky to have him at the helm of this agency.
The fact that John has long acknowledged the basic reality that for decades New York City's approach to housing and land use has led to exclusionary outcomes.
should be a prerequisite for the job, not a disqualification.
In recent weeks, HPD and DCP released the Fair Housing Growth Strategy, a report in compliance with Local Law 167 that was championed by the City Council at its passage.
And it really confirmed what John has been saying for years.
Far too many New Yorkers have experienced extreme displacement pressures so that the highest income neighborhoods with outsized political power are allowed to essentially close themselves off to new neighbors.
The result is a housing shortage that hurts renters and homeowners alike.
50% of renters and 45% of homeowners spend more than 30% of their income on housing alone.
Ms.
Gray, sorry, please wrap it up.
Yes, of course.
I really just, I urge you to confirm, John.
I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you.