Public Advocate Williams joined Council Member Rafael Salamanca (left) and Churches United for Fair Housing's Alex Fennell during a press conference to announce his legislation requiring Racial Impact Studies on rezoning in New York City.

NEW YORK: Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today introduced legislation which would require a Racial Impact Study (RIS) to be conducted for all proposed rezonings in New York City-- an effort that aims to combat the negative impacts of gentrification. 

The bill, Intro 1572 , would require that whenever an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is prepared in connection with an application subject to City Planning Commission review, such EIS shall include an analysis of racial and ethnic impacts, and whether the proposed action would affirmatively further fair housing within the meaning of the Fair Housing Act. Council Member and Chair of the Land Use Committee Rafael Salamanca, Jr. is the co-prime sponsor of this legislation.

At a press conference prior to the bill's introduction Chair Salamanca and Churches United for Fair Housing's Alexandra Fennell and Rob Solano ,  the Public Advocate discussed the reality that re-zonings can dramatically accelerate gentrification and have an outsized negative impact on communities of color, citing Williamsburg re-zonings as a stark example. Following those 2005 rezonings,  the waterfront area's white population increased by 44 percent, compared to a 2 percent decline citywide, while the area's Latinx population declined by 27 percent, compared to a 10 percent increase citywide.

" To combat racial segregation, we first need to study it," Public Advocate Williams said. "Pretending it doesn't happen as a result of rezonings amounts to the city turning a blind eye to the realities of the segregation and community displacement facing this city and the role city government plays in making it worse. I thank Chair Salamanca for his partnership on this legislation and Churches United For Fair Housing for their years of advocacy on this issue."

" The Racial Impact Study is the first step in undoing the harm caused by over a century of land use policy rooted first in overt racism and then shielded by color-blind language. If we do not confront racialized displacement head on, it is certain to continue just as it has in every rezoning we have seen in a low-income community of color. This legislation has the opportunity to be a powerful tool, to promote access to opportunity and affirmatively further fair housing, and CUFFH is excited to be part of introducing this bill today." said Alexandra Fennell, Network Director of Churches United for Fair Housing.