CM Riley questions HPD on 700,000 unit goal, neighborhood plans, and anti-displacement

Thank you.

Next question is, the city of New York has not produced 700,000 units of housing since like 1920s, which was a very long time ago.

How will HPD work with the Department of City Planning to adequately plan for the infusion of hundreds of thousands of units of housing in neighborhoods that are already densely populated and lacking critical infrastructure?

Right.

So point is well taken.

We understand that, you know, the draft report we put out regarding what the growth targets need to be for the city are very aspirational.

HPD obviously is not committing to financing 700 units, right?

So our commitment here is 200,000 units of new housing over the next 10 years.

We do, as we've talked about, have a big commitment of new staff and a very big commitment of new capital, particularly for the next two fiscal years, which we see as a big down payment

towards moving in the direction of that ultimate goal of 200,000 units with the commitment right now to build 28,000 units over the next two years.

We understand that some neighborhoods will be more challenged in terms of building, but we do want to be frank about what we need.

And then we want to be collaborative with every council member and every community board in every district to figure out how to try to meet those aspirational goals.

Will you guys be announcing any future neighborhood plans to possibly achieve those goals?

There are two.

Rezoning plans right now that are being...

One in my district, I think.

Yeah, so two that you know about being considered.

And then I think...

We are, one of the things named in the housing plan are these sort of micro-neighborhood plans, which are not as big as like full-wide community rezonings.

And I think we are anxious to start to move that, especially for the reason you point out, which is that we have really high aspirational goals for the amount of housing we need to build as a city.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Chair, just one more question, if possible.

Being tasked with creating development opportunities, and you mentioned the White Plains Road Neighborhood Plan, which is in my district.

For all these potential units, how will HPD, along with sister agencies, work to protect existing black and brown New Yorkers and communities like mine in the Northeast Bronx, as we're talking about a lot of housing production,

worried about rising rents, worried about displacements.

We have a lot of residential units within my household as well.

So, Commissioner, we could definitely speak about this after this, but those are concerns that my community, communities in Southeast Queens, are having when we're talking about this development that's coming.

And I just want to say we completely understand and share some of those concerns.

You all noticed the part of the draft proposal that was put out in the strategic equity framework, which is sort of the third section.

There is a whole section just dedicated to stabilizing neighborhoods, which is very much about anti-displacement strategies.

So this is very much on our mind as well as our fair housing goals.

So I'm happy to follow up and talk about what type of anti-displacement strategies we need to be sure.

Thank you.

I just want to continue being a partner with you guys.

So thank you so much for.

I'm testifying today.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Riley.

Councilmember Joseph.