The Real Estate Board of New York to The Committee on Housing and Buildings of the New York City Council on Intro 354, Intro 1127, Intro 1366, Intro 1635, Intro 1667, and Intro 1737

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New Yorkers’ health, safety and quality of life are paramount. In our ever-changing cityscape, it is essential we remain diligent in reviewing and updating the safeguards surrounding construction, not only for the protection of workers and public safety, but also for the well-being and livability of our neighborhoods.

In considering any proposed changes to safety regulations, we encourage the Council to consult with industry stakeholders and discuss with the appropriate regulatory agencies how the changes speak to the existing requirements as well as to consider practical obstacles to their implementation. While today’s committee agenda includes some reasonable policy ideas, REBNY believes a number of bills are not clearly defined and appear to overreach with no tangible benefit to our City. This includes Intro 1737, which would create significant harm to our City’s current economic recovery.