Queens Power and EBC Turn out Hundreds of Residents Demanding Developing 100%
Affordable on State and City-owned Land.

On October 6 th , as part of Metro IAF NY’s Public Land for Public Good Campaign, Queens Power and East Brooklyn Congregations held an assembly of hundreds of residents who demanded state and city officials build 100% affordable on state and city-owned land. Dr. Barbara Campbell, Queens Power Leader, challenged the assembly right from the start, “This is a volatile season. We can’t dress it up. Our city is in a leadership crisis. The question is what will you do, what will we do? Queens Power, EBC, Metro IAF – we know the answer - we are going to do what we have always done for the last 40 years.” Residents lined up to testify including a bus operator, teacher, housekeeper, paralegal, nurse, principal and others calling on Governor Hochul to keep the deal to develop the 2775 units of housing as 100% affordable on 58 acres of underutilized land at the state-owned Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital. Cory Richardson from Queens said, “As bus operators, we make $75,000 to $130,000 a year, but I still can’t afford my
dream - owning my own home in Queens. It’s like we are good enough to work in Queens but not live in Queens.” Rev. Patrick O’ Connor, Queens Power Co-Chair, pointed out, “In the last few years, New York City has lost almost 550,000 residents. It’s not millionaires who are leaving, it’s lower and middle-income folks, Black and Brown families, largely because of affordability and housing issues. When the supply is low and the need is great -- the answer is build more affordable housing.” Cathleen McCadden Benjamin, Chief of Staff of NY Homes and Community Renewal, committed, “HCR has worked with Metro IAF NY, is working with Metro IAF NY and will work with Metro IAF NY to build affordable housing on public and congregation land.” Hope Knight, CEO of Empire State Development declared that Phase 1 of Creedmoor would be 100% affordable homeownership. Rev. O’Connor responded, “Metro IAF will be here for every phase to say build 100% affordable until the last unit is built. We are not leaving. We belong. We shall not be moved.”

Rev. Rashad Moore, EBC Leader, closed out the assembly by declaring, “While the drama unfolds in City Hall, the real crisis is unfolding in our streets and communities. But, we know homes can be built, families lifted and futures secured. We have done it before and we will do it again.”