An overwhelming number of Bronx residents vented frustrations over Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York initiative at a hearing over the plan, tying it to gentrification and framing their plight as a struggle between haves and have-nots.

Hundreds packed the pews at the hearing, an optional public forum organized by the Bronx Borough President’s Office, and separate of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) on Housing New York. The plan, touted by Mayor Bill de Blasio since May 2014, seeks to build 80,000 affordable units while preserving 120,000 already built apartments across the city. That will happen through changes in the zoning laws and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, which essentially mandates developers build a number of affordable housing units per new apartment building.

“There’s a plague coming to the Bronx, and it’s called ‘gentrification,’ and it’s disguised as Mandatory Inclusionary Housing,” said Loletta Brown, capturing a mood that resonated during the three-hour hearing.

Brown, who has lived in the South Bronx for decades, arrived with the Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, one of several progressive-leaning groups that voiced concerns over Housing New York. Other groups included  Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA) and the People Power Movement (PPM), groups largely involved in housing matters, taking an uncompromising approach towards class equity. In all, 45 speakers testified.

Throughout the hearing at the Bronx Borough Hall, chants of the “The Bronx is not for sale” and “Ruben is for sale” echoed in the courthouse chambers on the sixth floor, picking up from an earlier protest. The latter referenced Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who as of late has been criticized by South Bronx groups for supporting a pop-up art show that featured the “Bronx Is Burning” days by developers of a $400 million development complex by the South Bronx waterfront.

The party, attended by developers and celebrities, was poorly received by South Bronx residents for being insensitive to the borough’s troubled past. Diaz Jr. was absent at the public hearing, though represented by Deputy Borough President Aurelia Greene. Community Board 7 Chairwoman Adaline Walker Santiago and the Board’s chair of Land Use/Housing Committee, Jean Hill, were also present at the dais. The CB7 committee had recently voted against the proposal.

Diaz has stood quiet on the issue, though in a statement he ensured he’ll pore over residents testimonies “to inform my own position on this contentious issue.”

The concerns by residents varied, depending on what part of the borough they reside in.

One issue stemmed from the elimination of the parking requirement that alleviates affordable housing developers from building a certain number of on-site parking spaces for buildings resting in a proposed Transit Zone, where public transportation is abundant. Community Board 7, covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Fordham and University Heights, falls virtually within a Transit Zone. The parking issue has been a sensitive topic within CB7’s borders.

Residents argued the parking issue would significantly shorten the supply of public spots. City officials from the Department of City Planning have long argued that certain lots, particularly in senior-dominated affordable housing buildings, are underutilized.

Others questioned the plan’s use of Area Median Income, the magic number that determines how cheap rents will be for individuals and families earning a certain wage. Those figures are determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and fluctuate.

Opponents of Housing New York view the affordable rates as too high, especially in the South Bronx, one of the poorest congressional districts in the country, where the average median income stands at roughly $25,000.

“We need to address affordable housing for the people who are making anywhere from $8,000 to $25,000 a year for a family of four,” said Joseph Cepeda, an organizer for CASA. “Why is the elephant in the room being ignored?”

Several stood up for the Housing New York Plan since it creates more housing in a city that’s seen a growing number of homeless people. But supporters were immediately booed and heckled by representatives of CASA and People Power Movement, drowning out their points before the dais. Sitting at the front were members of the Bronx office of DCP, who have been holding meetings on the proposal since early this year.

Alexandra Hanson with New York State Association for Affordable Housing, backed the Housing Plan, arguing that monies used to build on-site parking spots, which is upwards of $60,000, can be a burden to an affordable housing developer who feel it can be utilized to build another unit of housing. “Parking requirements also detract from uses that better serve the community, such as ground floor retail, [and] children’s areas,” said Hanson.

Next week, Diaz will convene a Borough Board meeting, comprised of representatives from all 12 of the borough’s community boards, so it can issue their advisory take on the proposal. He hasn’t issued his own opinion on the matter yet.

Enrique Colon, an opponent of Housing New York, is more curious on how the Bronx’s Council Delegation will vote on the measure.

“If your City Council Members votes yes for this,” said Colon. “You should vote them out.”

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.