Lindsay Vigoda of Small Business Majority testifies supporting Intro 90 and urging further action

My apologies.

I'd like to call up Lindsay Vagoba.

And you can begin when you're ready.

Thank you, Chair and members of the committee.

Happy, is today Wednesday?

Happy Wednesday.

My name is Lindsay Vigoda, and I am the New York Director of Small Business Majority.

We are a state, local, and national organization with a mission to empower our entrepreneurs to build a thriving economy.

There's an estimated 12% storefront vacancy across New York.

But I don't have to tell you this statistic.

We all know this.

You see it every day as you walk down your favorite neighborhoods, and I know I certainly do.

The very shops and restaurants that make our neighborhoods a community are being squeezed by commercial leases.

This is why I'm supporting the Storefront Business Bill of Rights.

It is essential that we have protections for small business tenants before our neighborhoods are overrun with big box chains, big stores, and private equity establishments.

While small business majority supports this effort, though, as a strong beginning for the fight for small storefronts, I urge City Council to go further.

And I cannot pass up this opportunity to highlight three different initiatives that will go further.

The Small Business Rent Stabilization Act, as many of my colleagues, High Olympia, have talked about, is an opportunity to show small business.

in the city that we want them here.

The other initiative is outlined in the Affordable Now NYC policy agenda established and published in May.

Small Business Majority proposed that the city create commercial leasing incentives for landlords to work with small and local businesses in areas that have seen drastic vacancy rates.

The third is a strong UDAP or an unfair, deceptive, abusive protections with a private right of action to enforce small businesses,

to empower small businesses to enforce the rights they already have and are gaining, hopefully, through this legislation.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

I'm excited for this collaboration.

Thank you for your testimony and apologies for.