Sponsored by AARP
Election Day is soon to come, with less than six weeks remaining until Brooklyn’s District 47 elects its next city council representative. The Brooklyn Paper recently sat down with candidates George Sarantopoulos and Kayla Santosuosso to hear their perspectives on affordable and accessible housing. Here are their responses:
Q: As many older residents face rising housing costs, what policies or programs do you support to increase the availability of affordable and accessible housing options in your district?
Santosuosso: First and foremost, we must reform the property tax system to make sure senior homeowners are not displaced by their own government. Similarly we must ensure programs like [Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption] and [Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption] are fully funded, and expanded to protect more seniors. Next, we must continue to be in the business of constructing and staffing housing that is affordable to seniors, and housing with support services, so seniors can transition to a home that affords them the highest amount of dignity and autonomy.
Sarantopoulos: I support increased property tax cuts, removal of taxes and certain fees related to utilities, and increased funding for medically necessary home modifications for senior citizen homeowners, which will help them stay in the homes many of them are proud to own as the result of a lifetime of hard work.
Q: In your opinion, how can city policies incentivize private developers and landlords to create and maintain affordable, accessible housing options for seniors, especially in neighborhoods with high aging populations?
Santosuosso: For a long time the city has tried to use tax incentives to spur new development, and while this tool can be useful, all too often it leads to luxury development that most seniors cannot afford. If elected to the Council I will work with the agencies providing these incentives to ensure developer tax breaks are creating housing for everyone, not just the uber wealthy. But that is not enough- the government must continue to construct and staff senior supportive housing of the highest quality. We need to recognize that there is no 1 size fits all option for the hundreds of thousands of seniors who have guided our City through countless hard times.
Sarantopoulos: If a developer or a landlord is willing to withhold a certain number of units for senior citizen affordable housing, I would support reducing both their property and income taxes as well as any taxes related to larger capital improvements. I would further support the use of public funds to bolster any improvements that would have a large positive impact on quality of life for seniors.
Q: Accessibility in housing is essential for aging residents. How would you promote the development and retrofitting of existing buildings to meet ADA standards and accommodate seniors with mobility challenges?
Santosuosso: Landlords that work in good faith to update their older buildings to be more accessible should be supported by the city, whether through reimbursement or tax incentive. But when a landlord uses a lack of ADA accessibility to harass tenants, I will work with nonprofits and social services agencies to hold them accountable. All too often, major repairs to things like elevators and boilers put senior citizens at the most risk. In the worst cases, when it is a matter of the health and safety of those inside the building, the City should step in and make repairs if the Landlord can’t or won’t.
Sarantopoulos: I would use funds afforded to my office to subsidize projects that would significantly improve the lives of elderly and disabled New Yorkers as well as heavily advocate for a larger pool of city funds to be used for the same. I would also remove all taxes on materials and labor used for projects that are rewired for a building to meet ADA standards.
