Adriano Espaillat: “I want to thank the gentlewoman from the State of California for her eloquent words. Mr. Speaker, I would like to…”

“I want to thank the gentlewoman from the State of California for her eloquent words. Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight another factor that contributes to the problem of the lack of affordable housing, and that is the decreasing affordability crisis in New York City. Historically, New York City was built on inclusivity, and it is here that people from all walks of life come in and they coexist. It is this diversity that contributes to the success of this great experiment called America, this great experiment called New York City. It is young people moving here from Tennessee and immigrant families from the Dominican Republic, like my family, for their own American Dream right here in New York City. And New York City's success is one piece of the national picture of urbanization. This enormous change in cities across the country includes an influx of more people, often young and from diverse backgrounds. This means we need the visionaries in expanding our housing supply, especially our affordable housing supply. Mr. Speaker, that is why we are here today, to highlight on this national crisis of a lack of affordable housing. America has a housing crisis--an affordable housing crisis. Working and middle class New Yorkers have felt the brunt of fewer options available on the market. Countless middle- and low-income families cannot afford to live in the neighborhoods they have known their entire lives.…”