Brooklyn, NY – Chair David G. Greenfield of the Council’s Committee on Land Use urged members of the public to attend the New York City Council’s hearings to be held this week Tuesday and Wednesday on the citywide, once-in-a-generation rezonings at the heart of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ambitious affordable housing programs. The two rezoning plans, known as Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability, are intended to work hand-in-hand with one another to revitalize neighborhoods and produce hundreds of thousands of new apartments at prices affordable to New Yorkers of many different walks of life.

“Making New York more affordable is a goal we all share,” Greenfield said. “But any programs as complex as MIH and ZQA require community input, along with thorough analysis and careful oversight, to be successful. That’s why I urge all interested New Yorkers to attend the hearings and make their opinions on these issues known.”

Greenfield said several components of the MIH and ZQA proposals are already undergoing careful review to ensure that they are both feasible and capable of achieving their intended goals. Concerns about the proposals include whether they provide for sufficient levels of affordability, as well as issues surrounding building heights and relaxing parking requirements for new developments.

“These are the most consequential decisions that the land use committee will be making in recent history,” Greenfield said. “The expiration of 421-a has further thrown a wrench into an already complex process,” explained Greenfield, referring to a state tax abatement program designed to encourage the development of new housing. The program was allowed to lapse earlier this year after developers and construction workers were unable to come to an agreement on how best to continue it.

“We have literally spent thousands of hours poring over the legislation and feedback from Community Boards, the Borough Board, the Borough President, Council Members and advocates,” Greenfield said. “We know how important this and we intend to make the necessary changes to these proposals to satisfy the different concerns that we have heard from stakeholders.”

The City Council will be holding a hearing on Mandatory Inclusionary Housing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. A hearing on Zoning for Quality and Affordability will be held Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Both hearings will be held in the Council chambers at City Hall, and Greenfield is encouraging members of the public to attend.

(YWN Desk – NYC)