community development zones

Testimony on Intro No. 346 -- Community Development Zones Designation
New York City Council Committees on General Welfare, Health & Community Development

Rudy Bryant
Associate Director, Pratt Center for Community Development
September 28, 2006

The Pratt Center is grateful for the opportunity to present this testimony, and appreciates the committees' efforts to address these critical issues.

We acknowledge the Mayor's courage to undertake “reducing poverty” (this could define his legacy) and we welcome the Commission on Economic Opportunities report.

While we understand the Commission's desire to target action to specific populations (young children, young adults, and the working poor), we are concerned that this approach misses the critical importance of communities – in both the problems and solutions. The proposed action by the Council to amend the Charter to create the CDZ would address the critical goal of taking a community development approach to these issues.