Public (Zoom): Peter Handler supports Mangin, citing vacancy crisis
Handler, a Queens resident, testifies in support, noting the 1.4% vacancy rate is the lowest since 1968 and the city needs 700,000 additional homes. He says Mangin's willingness to speak honestly about where the zoning system has fallen short is a qualification, not a disqualification.
Yes, good afternoon.
My name is Peter Handler.
I'm a resident of Queens, and I'm here to testify in support of John Magan's nomination to chair the Board of Standards and Appeals.
In my own work, I've seen what the housing crisis means for people with very limited resources and very few alternatives.
So to me, this is not an abstract debate about zoning.
When there simply are not enough affordable homes, the most vulnerable New Yorkers suffer the most.
We know the scale of the problem.
The citywide vacancy rate is just 1.4%, the lowest since 1968, and HPD estimates that the city will need about 700,000 additional homes over the next decade.
John Mangan has spent more than a decade working on these issues at the Department of City Planning, including City of Yes and mandatory inclusionary zoning.
With the BSA now responsible for considering applications to expedite publicly financed 100% affordable housing, that experience matters.
And frankly, his willingness to speak honestly about where our zoning and land use system has fallen, strikes, has fallen short, strikes me as a qualification, not a disqualification.
I urge the council to confirm John Mangan as BSA chair.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Is there any other panelists on Zoom right now?
Can the last person on the Zoom panel unmute themselves?
You may begin.