Housing Advocates Remain Skeptical with East New York Rezoning Plan

Housing advocates are planning to stop the afternoon meeting of Department of City Planning committee to discuss the "rezoning of low- income neighborhoods across the city" as part the $41 billion affordable housing plan by Mayor de Blasio.

According to gothamist.com, Real Affordability For All (RAFA), a coalition of more than 50 affordable housing activist groups, said "New housing under de Blasio's rezoning plan will go to wealthier, whiter outsiders: people who do not live in neighborhoods like East New York and the South Bronx."

East New York already has an initial blueprint of the rezoning released last February. The rezoning will cover Cypress Hills' neighborhood and Ocean Hill in Bed-Stuy. The plan will create 7,000 new apartments and one million square feet of commercial land by the year of 2030. The report also says that "East New York is the first of fifteen low-income neighborhoods scheduled to be rezoned as part of de Blasio's plan."

The affordability of the soon- to- be constructed homes will be discussed in full details for the first time since the summer's informal meeting.

According to East New York Community Plan, 50% or more of the total new housing units should be affordable for the locals. Also, the repost said that "the rezoned area in the next 15 years will encompasses the area around the A/C, J/Z/L Broadway Junction station."

The first set of affordable housing units is also expected to create 1,200 new apartments for the next two years. 80% of the housing units to be built within the area should be affordable enough for families earning no more than $46,000 while 27% of the units should be affordable for families earning $31,000 or less.

East New Yorker are getting doubtful with the rezoning plan that can cause gentrification in the area especially that the median income of an East New Yorker is only $35,000 per year. One of the locals, 59- year old Rama Campbell, said that gentrification is already happening in their neighborhood. She said "It is a transition right now. Rent is getting crazy. There's no more middle class. Now either you're rich, or you're poor."