Emma Bartley of Historic Districts Council testifies on preservation and affordability
She supports affordable housing but concerns about high market-rate targets incentivizing demolitions, and says city's measure of housing growth overlooks conversions and rehab.
Good afternoon.
My name is Emma Bartley, and I'm the policy manager from the Historic Districts Council, the citywide advocate for New York's historic neighborhoods.
I'm here today to express HTC's comments and concerns about the fair housing growth strategy and aspects of the affordable housing fast track.
HDC supports the goal of expanding the city's affordable housing opportunities.
We have strongly supported housing growth through our advocacy, including testifying in support of large-scale affordable housing developments within historic districts, supporting the proposed South of Prospect neighborhood rezoning,
and recently launching our new initiative, Preserving Affordability, which seeks to unlock more historic tax credits to rehab historic affordable rental buildings.
However, while we support the goals of the growth strategy, we have concerns about its approach.
We are particularly concerned that high, largely market rate housing production targets could incentivize demolitions across the city.
This concern is compounded by the affordable housing fast track's inclusion of already densely developed neighborhoods like the Upper West Side, where vacant or developable land is limited.
This is not just a preservation issue, but an affordability issue, as older buildings containing rent-regulated or naturally occurring affordable housing are particularly vulnerable to redevelopment.
A comprehensive housing strategy must better account for existing density and displacement risk when setting neighborhoods.
head targets, while also establishing a clear plan to preserve existing affordable housing.
We also wish to echo a point recently made by Council Member Brewer.
The city's measure of housing growth appears to be flawed because it focuses on new construction, while overlooking housing created or retained through rehab, adaptive reuse, and conversions.
The New York Times recently reported that since 2023, the city has permitted over 19,000 units to be created through conversion projects.
The strategy should recognize these contributions when measuring housing growth and more actively promote rehab and adaptive reuse as alternatives to mass demolition and displacement.
Thank you.
Next, we'll hear from Christina Farabazina.