Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts 'Hear From the Mayor' Radio Show

August 11, 2024

Gary Byrd: Every second Sunday of the month, WBLS is proud to welcome the 110th mayor of New York City. The second mayor of color, and the first hip hop mayor in the city's history. It's time to Hear From the Mayor, our brother Mayor Eric Adams. Live on 107.5 WBLS. Mr. Mayor, good morning and welcome.

Mayor Eric Adams: Hey Brother, thank you, and to the listeners welcome back to Hear From the Mayor, and I'm your mayor, Eric Adams, and I like to say David Dinkins, too, you know, and so if you are listening for the first time, the purpose of the show is really to hear from you, uh, everyday New Yorkers, and listeners should give me a call and hear directly from your mayor and just give me your feedback and have a good, engaging conversation.

You can sign up to hear more from me by visiting newyorkcity.gov/hearfromeric and you can sign up on our website to Text with Eric or you can talk with me on WhatsApp and listen to my Get Stuff Done Podcast get stuff done for you but right now you can just call in (212) 545-1075, (212) 545-1075. A good topic today, something that I hear about all the time, housing, housing, housing. As the great philosopher stated, the rent is too damn high. And so we want to really lean into this. I have one of my favorite commissioners here, Commissioner Adolfo Carrión, former Bronx Borough President. And he took all of his knowledge that he had and made sure he used it to see how we can build housing throughout this city.

And so we are going to be talking to members of his, I'm gonna speak with him directly and just a real leader in this area. He's a commissioner of the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development and he's gonna share some of his insight. But we also have a real special person on the show today, Allen Pastures. The real powerful story, met him at a town hall and he shared his concern about housing and I want him to go into, you know, what happened next.

But first, let's turn it over to the commissioner. Commissioner, talk about some of the numbers we have, some of the challenges we have, and one thing you said that I really want you to lean into so people could understand what the challenges are and the availability of housing. When we do our lotteries, how many people apply? And if you could just go into some of that, that would be great.

Commissioner Adolfo Carrión, Housing, Preservation and Development: Thank you, mayor. It's great to be here on a Sunday morning with you and Allen and to the audience. Great to be here. As you said, mayor, this is the number one issue in New York City. It will make or break us in terms are in terms of our competitiveness as a city, as a destination for people from all over the world. I don't think people understand how critical this is. We have the lowest vacancy rate in the history of New York City since 1968. So if you're looking for an apartment in New York City, and you're gonna hear from Allen in a little bit in a little bit, your chances of finding an affordable home below $2,400 a month is near zero.

And that hasn't happened since the 1960s. In order for us to be competitive, we need to continue to be a global attraction and to allow working families to live and work here affordably. And so you know you made the biggest investment in history in housing. The mayor made an investment in excess of $20 billion over a 10-year period. No other mayor in New York City's history has done that. And so we've been able to produce historic levels of housing two years in a row.

New construction of affordable housing, preservation of existing housing, permanent housing for formerly homeless families, record levels, supportive housing for people with special needs, whether it be mental health issues or substance abuse issues, and all of this in the midst of an influx of a river of humanity arriving in our city and the mayor mentioned the lotteries that we conduct every year. Two years ago we had 250 lotteries for 250 new construction projects, mayor we had 50 million applicants, and some of them are repeat you know frequent flyer applicants so let's say we cut that in half and it's 25 million- it's still an astounding number of applicants looking to live in New York City and stay in New York City, and so the work we're doing under your leadership is absolutely essential for our future.

Mayor Adams: Break that down a little for me, Commissioner, so people can understand. When you have a lottery, that means we have a building that people are trying to get apartments in, and they submit part of the lottery system in application. So let's take an example, we have 200 units. On average, how many people would apply for those 200 units?

Commissioner Carrión: So the system is called Housing Connect. And before I get into that, let me just tell the audience members, if you're looking for affordable housing, get on your computer, get online and go to Housing Connect and establish an account so you can search for housing. Let's say a 200-unit new construction development in the South Bronx, for instance, you'll probably have about 50,000 to 100,000 applicants for just those apartments, mayor.

Mayor Adams: And that is why I want people to really understand the significance. So a 200-unit building, 50,000 people applying, the numbers just don't add up. The only way we could address the housing crisis, folks, is to build more housing. We have a 1.4 percent vacancy rate in our city as the commissioner stated, one of the lowest since the 60s. We have to build more housing and our city is divided into community boards. This was one of the most important things that the commissioner shared with me. We have 59 community boards in our city. Commissioner, can you go into um how many are building affordable housing?

Commissioner Carrión: You know sadly, of the 59 community boards, only 10 are building affordable housing the other 49 are refusing it. The other 49 are in the way, I like to say it, they live in the city of no and there's 10 that live in the City of Yes and we cannot be a city of no under your leadership we've done City of Yes for Economic Opportunity we've done City of Yes for Environmental Responsibility and now to close the deal for New York's future we have to do City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.

Mayor Adams: And that's so important because when you look at it you look at the fact that our children go away from school they come back home We want them to live in this city our elders are getting older. They want to downsize we want them to be able to age in place or you find that someone may have decided what a little bit move out of their parents home into housing. If we are saying in 49 of those community boards that you we don't want housing here, that's a problem because many of these community boards we're talking about they have access to good food access to good housing access to good transportation, access to good schools, and we can't hold on to it.

So we can't say on Monday housing is a right, and then on Tuesday we say we don't want it built on our block. And nothing, nothing personifies that more than Allen. I want to bring him into this conversation. Met him at a town hall, town hall works, you know. People would think, normally you come to the town hall, you speak to the mayor, and all of a sudden he forgets about you. But you came, and we met you at a town why don't you share your story?

Allen Pastures: Well, mayor, I was just running all over the place and trying to find what my CityFHEPS voucher and a lot of places was turning me down and they was refusing to take my voucher or whatever. Like I said, God brought me to you. And with him bringing me to you, I just happened to be in that town hall. I signed up that day there and I got to meet you and your all your workers and stuff and everything you're all all of them been great.

They've been keeping up on me. They have actually got me an apartment. Global Realty have helped me. Support unit had helped me from your office and it was all great and I was just to a point where I said I wasn't going to give up. I was going to just keep moving on because that's what the Lord wanted me to do. And I was there, I was so happy when I saw you there at the town hall. And I said, you're doing a great job. And I hope that next term you'll be, you'll be here to do it for the next person. You know what I mean?

But my home is very beautiful. I love it. It's nice. It's, I have a one bedroom And it's really nice. And so far, I was able to marinate in it. So it's really wonderful that I was able to do it. Also, I give thanks to Yvonne and everyone else that have helped me. And it's been very, very great. And audience, I just want to let you know that the mayor is here for us. We just don't know. We're blind and we need to wake up and say, just what he's telling us. Get in contact with this unit and talk to them and do what you have to do. And you can be just as happy as I am, living in a nice home and living the way you wanna live.

Because it's so much, the mayor does so much for you, but you're blind and you don't realize that he's doing so much for you. And because you're not stepping up and saying, I'm going to go and meet the mayor, I'm going to make some calls. And then when you make those calls, you'll find out that the support unit and everybody will say, listen, we can help you. We can make sure you get a voucher and you can do what you have to do.

Mayor Adams: And that's one of the most important things that we could do in life is to have hope. And as the commissioner stated, when you have 200 units and 50,000 applicants, people may try the first time to do how to connect and didn't get it and they get frustrated and angry. And we're saying, don't give up hope.

You know, hope is the fuel that continues our existence. And you know, when you have organizations and agencies like our Public Engagement Unit, I just love them. They out in the field, I see them, they're really engaged. And then we're also using our Human Rights Commission to fight against the discrimination.

Because sometimes you will have a voucher and you will have landlords saying, we're not taking your vouchers. And so we have to fight on every front. But we do know that more people were able to get housing under this administration utilizing their vouchers in the history of the program. Transition more people out of homelessness into permanent housing in one year, two years in a row in the history of the program. And finance more affordable housing in two years in a row in the history of the program. So the first two years in office of HPD, Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer and the team, we've leaned into housing, $26 billion we put into housing, and we included NYCHA in our housing program that was often ignored and we were able to get the land trust. The goal is to do what we did the other day, to hand you and other New Yorkers keys.

We do that if we build more in the process of doing so. And you're right, you made it committed and steadfast. And you just say, I'm not going to sit down and say, woe is me. You say, why not me? You showed up. And because you showed up, you have now been able to show up to an apartment where you can live in a great way. How do you encourage other New Yorkers to do the same thing?

Pastures: I figured that if they can do what I can do, and I've been out there. We all can be out there for a certain period of time. But eventually, we have to get public housing and different things. Like you said, Housing Connect, CityFHEPS, but it's so many other agencies that are turning them down. That's what I was doing, going to all different agencies, and they're turning down my voucher.

I'm like, wait a minute, what is going on? I went to an agency where they charged me. And they said, we'll take your voucher. We'll get you an apartment. They didn't do it. I went to another agency. Then I went to another one. And they had one where they was giving people physicals and telling them that they're going to help them get vouchers. And they never did anything for me. So I just put my faith in the Lord. And I prayed. And I said, he will do what he have to do for me.

Mayor Adams: You know, what's interesting is that when you said agencies, I want people to be clear. He's not talking about city agencies. He's talking about real estate companies that are making these promising commitments. And if you ever feel that someone fraudulently told you they were going to do something for you and they didn't, you should report it to the proper authorities, and particularly to the Human Rights Commission, if someone's failed to give you housing. And so, commissioner, we're moving to the City of Yes for more housing is now moving from the community boards going into the City Council. How do we encourage people to really learn more about City of Yes?

Commissioner Carrión: Thank you, mayor. I think it's important for folks to understand that we're having one of the most important conversations we've had as a city in a long time. The year that you and I were born, 1961, was the year that the city's zoning code was last changed. It was authored then. Our city has changed. We live in a modern city with modern systems, with a growing population, with new challenges.

And we need to create a new set of opportunities. So number one, folks should go to the Department of City Planning's website. It's a very user-friendly presentation. They could also find it on HPD's website. What I do want to say, mayor, is as the City Council begins to consider voting on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. They're going to be out there talking to people in the neighborhoods. They're going to be at community board meetings. They're going to be on radio shows and on TV.

If you hear your councilmember saying that this is not good for the future of the city, you got to challenge them on the spot. You need to stop it, because these members of the City Council are supposed to represent all of the neighborhoods in New York City and the promise and the future for New York City, and many of them unfortunately a good number of them have initially said no, and you we need to tell them we don't we don't want to live in the city of no we want to live in the City of Yes.

Mayor Adams: Well said well said and listen I hear the music of this like the Sandman on the Apollo Theater so we got to take a break, but please call it 212-545-1075. We'd love to hear from you in the next half of our broadcast.

[Break.]

Byrd: The program is Hear From the Mayor, and the mayor wants to hear from you. Have your questions ready, 212-545-1075, 212-545-1075. Here's our mayor, Eric L. Adams.

Mayor Adams: All right, Gary, great. I was just learning all the other skills that the Commissioner and Allen have. They have honey bees and you know it's amazing what goes on in the city, but let's hear from our callers. Can we hear the first caller that's on?

Byrd: Listener, please identify yourself, first name and where you're calling from.

Question: Hi, good morning. My name is Heidi and I'm calling from Brooklyn.

Mayor Adams: How are you, Heidi?

Question: I'm fine, Mr. Mayor. First of all, good morning and thank you for the great job that you're doing in New York City. And my question is, I don't know what is the connection with you and the MTA, but I want to know what do they plan to do about all these people who do not pay to get on the bus?

First to begin, Mr. Mayor, by the time you get to the front door and you pay, the bus is already packed because everybody goes to the back door, them, their children, everything, and we don't get no space on the bus. And it's unfair to us who are paying. I want to hear your comments about that please.

Mayor Adams: I am so glad you're raising that because when I started cracking down on fare evasions you know for about eight years people have ignored fare evasion and I think it sends the wrong message to everyday New Yorkers who are paying their fare.

I started hitting the subway system and telling the transit police we're no longer having this attitude that individuals are able to come through and hop the turnstile and now we're zeroing in on the buses and you're right, that's not an opinion you're sharing it is a clear observation there's been a total breakdown on paying the fare and when you don't pay your fare, it comes out of the pockets of those New Yorkers who are so we got a series of initiatives that we're doing we spoke with Janno Lieber who's in charge of the MTA and we got a series of initiatives that we're going to be doing on those heavy areas that he has identified, but I'm with you. You got to pay your fare. I was a former transit cop, and you know, you will be given a summons or arrested if you didn't pay your fare. You got to pay your fare. It's unfair to other New Yorkers.

Question: It's only $2.90, and they're sliding on the bus with their Louis Vuitton bags and all this stuff. It's only $2.90. That's why people never have their priority straight. And they have to remember, The MTA needs the money to maintain the buses and the service and they're the same people who're going to complain, oh why is the bus not coming, the bus is broken down, the bus is dirty, the subway is dirty. They don't understand that it's a it's a give and take. They have to pay that fares.

Mayor Adams: Listen, you are my type of voter. Old-fashioned, common sense, follow the rules, you know, spare the ride, spare the child, you know. I just love your attitude. Don't have a Louis Vuitton if you can't pay [$2.90.] I'm with you 100 percent. Thank you for calling.

Byrd: It's Hear From the Mayor. Your first name and where you're calling us from.

Question: My name is Rosalyn and I want to say much respect to you Mayor Adams for your commitment to this city and it's just it's remarkable and it's just a fine example. I want to mention that I moved away. I grew up in New York and I moved away about 12 years ago. I came back to New York for a vacation. That never happened. I'm glad you're talking about housing because I wound up getting back into community work I was doing before I left.

And that meant that, yeah, I'm moving back to New York. I was traumatized when I started looking for an apartment. I was just, I freaked out honestly. So I'm glad that you're addressing this. So I signed up in June, and I have one of the things that just mentioned quickly. I don't want to take up too much time, but I signed up in June and was chosen for a voucher. And I'm a veteran, I'm disabled and I'm displaced. And I wonder if there's a process in place that can accelerate for those reasons. I don't want to take anything away from anyone else who's on the list or anything like that. But with those, you know, categories, I wonder if there is something that can be done to move that forward for me with the voucher.

Mayor Adams: Love that and I want you to reach out to our Department of Veteran Affairs and you're not taking anything away. Listen, we sit under the tree of freedom because you watered that tree with your blood, sweat, and commitment and you should be deserving of veteran housing. But if you reach out to Department of Veteran Affairs, they will guide you through whatever special program and initiatives, and there's a great organization in Brooklyn called Black Vets for Social Justice, that's another organization you can speak with and identify with whatever initiatives and programs are available, but Department of Veteran Affairs, former military person is now in charge of that, Commissioner Hendon, and we would love to see what we can navigate for you.

Question: I appreciate that. And just quickly, the other thing I wanted to mention, and this may be on your calendar because I follow you and anything that I can do in the community, I'm doing it. We have an event, it's actually tomorrow, it's a celebration of leaders, pioneers, legends, pioneers, leaders, and community working together to heal youth violence. So I wanna be quick on this.

But I just wanted to mention this and throw this out that we raise money and start up organizations when someone outside of the community kills us. And we have to elevate the voice and work together to make sure that our communities are safe for everyone. So we need more community. So there's a need for more volunteers and people to get involved. So I just wanted to mention that it's tomorrow and we wanna support you, the community from a grassroots level, the initiatives that you have so that we can have a balanced and better community.

Mayor Adams: Love it. Where is it going to be? What time? Why don't you give us that quickly?

Question: I sure would. Thank you so much. It's gonna take place on the, at the Adam Clayton Powell State Building Plaza from 5 to 8 p.m., and you are on the schedule. They put that on your schedule to come and speak, and we want you to come, because what we're doing is amplifying. Amplifying, it takes a village voice. It's gonna take the whole village to work together in this city, and we need you here to amplify that voice.

Mayor Adams: Okay, I'm gonna try to make it through, okay? Thank you so much.

Byrd: Mr. Mayor, the schedule's tight, but why don't you let our brothers and sisters know and again, connect with you off the air as well.

Mayor Adams: Yeah, always feel free and thanks so much. Number one, thanks for joining us, but you could also keep in touch with me by visiting newyorkcity.gov/hearfromeric, or you can sign up on our website to Text with Eric, talk with me on WhatsApp, and listen to my Get Stuff Done Podcast. We're getting stuff done for you. And again, all those who called in, Thank you, your feedback was powerful. And we wanna again thank my brother Allen, New York City resident homeowner now and we're happy for that. Thank you. Good speaking with you all. On my way out to the Dominican Day Parade, this is a city we all love, mi casa es su casa. Hola mi gente.

Translation: My house is your house. Hello my people.

Byrd: Thank you, thanks my brother. Of course, Eric Adams, our mayor, he is heard each and every second Sunday of the month right here at 107.5 WBLS with Hear from the Mayor. And as you hear, the mayor wants to hear from you as well.

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