June 24 TOOL KIT TO STOP BILLION DOLLAR AFFORDABLE HOUSING CUT TO CITY CAPITAL BUDGET

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN JEOPARDY!!

TOOL KIT TO STOP NYC CAPITAL BUDGET CUTS

Faith communities across New York City are encouraged to use their property and their voices to build affordable housing. Funding from the New York City Capital Budget for Affordable Housing is essential in making the difference of moving forwards or going backward in addressing homelessness and the lack of affordable housing. This Capital Budget cut of 1 billion dollars would impact the communities already hit the hardest by COVID 19. Now is not the time to disinvest but to invest in our neighbors and city. Faith communities need to reach out to their elected officials and make their voice known. Time is of the essence since the budget deadline is June 30. We are called to care for our neighbors. We must act now! Here is a tool kit to help you. If you agree, tell our elected leaders: “I oppose the capital budget cuts to HPD. Housing is more important than ever. Please restore the cuts and fully fund the housing plan.”

Tell Mayor de Blasio you oppose these cuts. Contact him here: https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/mayor-contact.page Tell the City Council you oppose the cuts. Find your council member here: https://council.nyc.gov/districts/ Call the Council’s Budget Negotiating Team:

Council members: Adams, Ayala, Chin, Cornegy, Constantinides, Cumbo, Deutsch, Dromm, Gibson, Johnson, Koslowitz, Lancman, Levin, Matteo, Menchaca, Moya, Reynoso, Rivera, Rose, Rosenthal, Salamanca, Van Bramer

Call Speaker Corey Johnson: https://council.nyc.gov/district-3/ You can also use Habitat for Humanity’s advocacy tool: http://hfh.salsalabs.com/o/505/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=14104 During difficult economic times the impulse is to respond with austerity. Actually, investment and spending is required as we are reminded in the parable of the talents Matthew 25:14 to 30. More talking points around city housing budget cuts: • Mayor has proposed cutting the HPD capital budget by $1 billion in total this year and next year, through a 40 percent cut each year. • Our analysis finds that this will lead to 21,000 fewer units of affordable housing over the two years, including 5,300 fewer new construction units and 15,700 fewer units preserved. • Housing is more important now than ever. • The capital budget is funded with bonds paid back with debt service over many years. It is not paid for with current city revenues. Cutting the capital budget now leads to very little savings in the short term, but very big costs. • Based on modeling from HR&A Advisors and New York Association for Affordable Housing, losing these units means the loss of: 22,176 construction jobs; 12,096 additional jobs is indirect industries supporting and supplying construction; $7.98 billion in total economic spending. How to Respond to Potential City Concerns:

If the city or city council says: “City revenues are down and we don’t have enough money.”

You can say: “Housing capital budget is paid for with bonds which are paid back over 15 years or more. Spending capital money has very little impact on the operating budget.”

If the city or city council says: “The city is having a cash flow crisis so we can not spend capital money right now.”

You can say: “New York City Comptroller has said the city’s cash flows are enough to support capital spending.” https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/comptroller-stringer-re-start-new-york- city-capital-program-to-jumpstart-economic-recovery/ If the city or city council says: “You are competing with a lot of other priorities and a lot of other spending needs.”

You can say: “The spending on the housing plan comes out of the capital budget, so it is not competing with NYPD or social services. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said capital spending will help jumpstart economic recovery” https://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/comptroller-stringer-re-start-new-york- city-capital-program-to-jumpstart-economic-recovery/ Share on social media. Use the #NoCapitalCuts.

Look up Twitter handles for City Council members' by clicking here so you can tag local council members as well as the mayor (ex. @bradlander @NYCMayor). Here are Sample Tweets:

The @NYCMayor's housing plan cuts will mean 21,000 fewer housing units, 22,000 fewer construction jobs, 12,000 fewer jobs in supporting industries, and $8 billion less in total economic spending. Now is not the time! #NoCapitalCuts

.@NYCMayor must reverse cuts to the housing plan. Housing is more important than ever. And now is the time to use the capital budget to create and maintain jobs and prepare for recovery. #NoCapitalCuts

$1 billion cuts to HPD budget are shortsighted and unnecessary. Will mean 21,000 fewer units of desperately needed housing. @NYCMayor must fully fund housing capital budget. #NoCapitalCuts Background

Councilmember ’s report on capital cuts: https://council.nyc.gov/brad-lander/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2020/06/200601- Capital-Budget-Cuts-Issue-Brief.pdf Recent Op-Ed by NYSAFAH, ANHD, SHNNY and CSH: https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-housing-cuts-would-exacerbate- inequality-20200623-k2gxn6btrvh6bos6sgwlijokby-story.html New York Housing Conference Executive Director Rachel Fee’s testimony to the City Council Finance committee opposing the cuts: https://thenyhc.org/2020/05/22/nyhc-testimony-opposing-cuts-to-hpd-capital-budget/ Interview with Economist Mike Konzel about the perils of austerity and the need to invest in hard economic times. http://pitchforkeconomics.com/episode/austerity-will-make-this-recession-worse-with- mike-konczal/ Image to use with a Facebook post opposing the cuts:

PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAIL FOR CONTACTING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEIR WEBSITES

District 1 Catherine Chin [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-1/ 212-587-3159 phone 212-788-7259 phone

District 2 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-2/ 212-677-1077 phone 212-788-7366 phone

District 3 Corey Johnson (speaker) [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-3/ 212-564-7757 phone and 212-788-7210 phone

District 4 Keith Powers [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-4/ 212-818-0580 and 212-788-7393

District 5 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-5/ 212-860-1950 phone and 212-788-6865 phone

District 6 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-6/ (212) 873-0282 phone & (212) 788-6975 phone

District 7 Mark Levine [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-7/ 212-928-6814 phone and 212-788-7007 phone

District 8 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-8/ 212-828-9800 East Manhattan: 347-297-4922 Bronx 212-788-6960 Legislative Office

District 9 Bill Perkins [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-9/ 212-678-4505 phone 212-788-7397 phone

District 10 Ydanis Rodriquez [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-10/ 917-521-2616 phone and 212-788-7053 phone

District 11 Andrew Cohen [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-11/ (718) 549-7300 phone and (212) 788-7080 phone

District 12 Andy King [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-12/ 718-684-5509 phone 718-684-5511 phone

212-788-6873 phone

District 13 Mark Gjnoaj [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-13/ 718-931-1721 phone and 212-788-7375 phone

District 14 Fernando Cabrero [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-14/ 347-590-2874 phone and 212-788-7074 phone

District 15 Ritchie Torres [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-15/ 718-842-8100 phone and 212-788-6966 phone

District 16 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-16/ P: 718-588-7500 and P: 212-788-6856

District 17 Rafael Salmanca [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-17/ 718-402-6130 phone 212-788-7384 phone

District 18 Ruben Diaz, Sr. [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-18/ Phone: 718 792-1140 and Phone: 212 788-6853

District 19 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-19/ 718-619-8611 phone 212-788-7250 phone

District 20 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-20/ 718-888-8747 phone

District 21 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-21/ Tel: 718-651-1917 Tel: 212-788-6862

District 22 (No Email Listed) (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-22/ 718-274-4500 phone 212-788-6963 phone

District 23 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-23/ 718-468-0137 phone and 212-788-7075 phone

District 24 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-24/ 718-217-4969 phone 212-788-6956 phone

District 25 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-25/ 718-803-6373 phone and 212-788-7066 phone

District 26 Jimmy VanBramer [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-26/ 718-383-9566 phone and 212-788-7370 phone

District 27 I (No Email Listed) https://council.nyc.gov/district-27/ 718-776-3700 phone 212-788-7084 phone

District 28 Adrienne E. Adams [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-28/ Telephone: 718-206-2068 Telephone: 212-788-6850

District 29 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-29/ 718-544-8800 phone and 212-788-6981 phone

District 30 Robert F. Holden [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-30/ (718) 366-3900 (212) 788-7381

District 31 , Jr. [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-31/ 718-471-7014 phone 718-527-4356 phone 212-788-7216 phone

District 32 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-32/ 718-738-1083 phone 718-318-6411 phone 212-788-7069 phone

District 33 Stephen Levin [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-33/ 718-875-5200 phone 212-788-7348 phone

District 34 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-34/ 718-963-3141 phone and 212-788-7095

District 35 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-35/ 718-260-9191 phone and 212-788-7081 phone

District 36 , Jr. [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-36/ 718-919-0740 phone 212-788-7354 phone

District 38 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-38/ Phone: 718-439-9012 and Phone: 212-788-7372

District 39 Brad Lander [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-39/ 718-499-1090 and 212-788-6969

District 40 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-40/ 718-287-8762 phone and 212-788-7352 phone

Distrcit 41 Alicky Ampry Samuel [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-41/ 718-953-3097 phone and 212-788-7387 phone

District 42 (No Email Listed) https://council.nyc.gov/district-42/ 718-649-9495 phone and 212-788-6957 phone

District 43 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-43/ 718-748-5200 phone and 212-788-7363 phone

District 44 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-44/ 718-853-2704 and 212-788-7357

District 45 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-45/ 718-629-2900 phone and 212-788-6859 phone District 46 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-46/ 718-241-9330 phone and 212-788-7286 phone

District 47 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-47/ 718-373-9673 phone 718-307-7151 phone 212-788-7045 phone

District 48 [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-48/ 718-368-9176 phone and 212-788-7360 phone

District 49 Deborah Rose [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-49/ 718-556-7370 phone and 212-788-6972 phone

District 50 [email protected] (BUDGET COMMITTEE) https://council.nyc.gov/district-50/ 718-980-1017 phone and 212-788-7159 phone

District 51 Joseph Borrelli [email protected] https://council.nyc.gov/district-51/ (718) 984-5151 phone and (212) 788-6989 phone

In faith,

The Reverend Peter Cook Executive Director