Council Member Dinowitz explains vote, highlights SCRI/DRI for Mitchell-Lama residents

Dynowitz.

Permission to explain my vote?

Permission granted.

Thank you.

What an exciting day this has been.

But it's exciting because we're tackling, I think, really complicated issues.

So I want to take a moment to first thank Speaker Men and for really shepherding through a couple of bills that have been on the docket for a while, have gone through a few changes.

and balancing along with the bill sponsors a really complicated and emotional issue.

So I want to thank you and all the bill sponsors.

I want to congratulate Marika Scott McFadden, who we're nominating today, a friend of mine, a consummate public servant who's going to be great in this role.

And I want to thank Farrah Lewis for her bill.

On increasing the SCRI eligibility.

I won't use the same language as Councilmember Brewer, but our older adults really deserve to live with dignity and live affordably in our city.

And I want to highlight that this bill, the SCRI eligibility, also applies to

Michellama residents.

And that is so critically important because right now they are facing 20, 30, 40% rent increases, all approved by our city, by the way.

Our city is approving these rent increases.

And while we want the rents not to skyrocket like our city is approving,

We do have this tool that is now going to capture so many more older adults who could really use, really use SCRI, really use the rent-free to live affordably in their homes.

In these homes that were designed for working class, middle class New Yorkers and retirees.

And so...

I, with a mind of my own, am proudly voting yes on everything on today's agenda.

Thank you.