New York, NY - The following statement can be attributed to Moses Gates, Vice President for Housing & Neighborhood Development, Regional Plan Association

“A good housing plan starts with listening to the people most directly impacted by our current crisis. Talking in-depth with NYCHA residents, people who have experienced homelessness, and New Yorkers trying to find affordable housing about what the city could do better has shaped a plan that has found new solutions and needed reforms.

This is a plan that is focused on people - how to help people move into affordable housing quicker and easier, how to improve people’s health through better living conditions, how to have families gain stability and build wealth through new homeownership opportunities. It does not shy away from hard truths about our housing situation and includes a long-overdue commitment to publish the true extent of our emergency shelter system. Nor does it shy away from good solutions, including a new maintenance and operations system for NYCHA, a commitment to combating asthma, lead, pests and other health hazards in our homes, and zoning reforms that incorporate the entire city and make sure each neighborhood contributes to making New York City an affordable and accessible place to live.”