De Blasio’s Affordable Housing Plan Sees Resistance From the Governor and Residents

Although Mayor De Blasio’s plan to create over 200,000 units of affordable housing in the next decade seems like a good idea, some Brooklynites fear it may force long-time residents out of their homes.

De Blasio announced an ambitious housing plan to preserve and build additional affordable housing in East New York and on the Sunnyside Yard in Queens. However, both have already seen resistance.

Recently Gov. Cuomo has publicly opposed de Blasio’s proposal to build affordable housing on Sunnyside Yards, stating the space could be used for better purposes and would interfere with current project plans by the M.T.A. and Amtrak.

One of the long-term major plans by M.T.A. and Amtrak would join the Long Island Rail Road with Grand Central Station. The governor has suggested a convention center instead, but that also seems unnecessary and not priority for New York residents.

Now residents of East New York have decided that their voices need to be heard if there’s going to be major changes occurring in their neighborhood.

Brooklyn residents fear the rezoning and new developments will lead to gentrification, raising rents and forcing them out of their homes. This cycle has already occurred in Manhattan and portions of Brooklyn such as Bushwick and Bedstuy.

“We want to make sure the people of East New York are not kicked out,” said one marcher.

“This is our Brooklyn. We want to stay comfortable in our East New York,” said another.

“My fear is that the gentrification will take place here like it did in Manhattan and other areas like Bushwick and Bed-Stuy,” said one marcher.

“Right now in Manhattan, there are two buildings that have ‘poor doors.’ We’re not going to let that happen here,” said another.

In his State of the City address, the mayor identified East New York as one of the neighborhoods he would rezone to build big structures, which would have to include affordable housing.

City Councilwoman Inez Barron said the affordability must be based on salaries in the neighborhood.

“Housing that meets the income of those persons who live here, which is about 30 percent of the AMI,” Barron said. “Most of the people here make about $33,000. That’s the median.”

The city proposes building on blocks around transportation hubs. Residents said the construction jobs should go to them, according to Time Warner Cable.

“These people can’t afford these affordable housing that you’re building. So you give them a career, they’ll be able to afford these affordable housing,” said one marcher.

“We need jobs that we’ll be able to afford to live here in Brooklyn,” said another.

Any rezoning must go through a public review process, and members of the community said they’ll make their demands known every step of the way, especially considering there is already a density problem in these neighborhoods.