U.S. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-Central Brooklyn, Coney Island) and Assemblymember Tremaine Wright (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) fielded questions from Bedford Stuyvesant constituents on Saturday about an issue that continues to steamroll the neighborhood – gentrification and aggressive development.
The lawmakers appeared on the third day of Black History Month at the Vanguard Independent Democratic Association (VIDA) political club, which kicked off its’ first meeting of the year at the Quincy Senior Residences, 625 Quincy Street.
When local resident, Joe Gonzalez, asked Jeffries why he should continue to support the Party when Democrats were in the majority during the inception of gentrification, Jeffries blamed the Republican led state Senate.
“The State Senate has repeatedly unraveled, undermined and decimated the rent regulation laws to allow for a lot of the gentrification and loss of rent stabilized units that are taking place,” said Jeffries.
Jeffries also mentioned past mayors’ influence on development, noting that during the onset of gentrification, Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg held office for nearly two decades consecutively from 1994 to 2013.
“If it took 20 years for us to get to this point, it’s going to take more than a few years to turn it back around,” said Jeffries before lauding his and other lawmakers’ efforts in helping local City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) being appointed the council’s new chair of the Housing and Buildings Committee.
The Committee is responsible for council oversight regarding rent regulations in the city as well as the Department of Buildings (DOB) and Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Council Members Jumaane Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, MIdwood) and Rafael Espinal (D-East New York, Bushwick) are also members of the committee, both of whom govern districts that have faced rapid rates of gentrification in recent years.
On the state side, Wright is looking is sponsoring bill A05823B, which will require developers to give notice to owners of property adjacent to the site of construction. The bill will also obligate developers to purchase insurance that covers damage to adjoining properties as a result of demolition or construction.
Reports show property owners in Central Brooklyn continue to suffer damages to their property due to construction on adjoining buildings – often with no recourse. Homeowners Rebecca and Peter Wolf, who were present at the meeting, said they were looking to be proactive about new development slated to occur next to their property at 522 Halsey Street. The couple said they have not had much cooperation from contractors despite several attempts to reach out.
“We were considering selling,” said Rebecca Wolf.
But even homeowners successful in getting contractor’s attention after their property has been wrecked have had issues with enforcement. VIDA President and Community Board 3 District Manager Henry Butler said the community board has had several complaints about contractors working despite DOB issued cease-work orders. Butler said contractors are likely ripping the signs placed at the construction site so when neighbors call the police to report the illegal work police have no way of confirming.
“There seems to be a gap here,” said Butler. “ What I am going to recommend we do with the 8-1 and the 7-9 [police precincts] is work on making sure their departments receive notification of any stop-work orders. This way when police officers go to the site they have the paperwork and can enforce the instruction of the DOB.
Butler said he will also bring the issue to the City Council.
