City Limits’ housing reporter Sadef Kully discusses the city’s shift to online public hearings and meetings, which make it easier for some New Yorkers to attend but has drawn other complaints.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck New York City this spring, it forced government officials to halt in-person meetings and hearings—a vital forum that allows the public to weigh in on important city projects and decisions.
Many of those meetings have resumed in recent months, but are now being hosted online instead. City officials say the virtual platform makes it easier for people to attend and get involved, though there are limits to the technology, including community activists who say it’s made it harder for them to organize with neighbors.
Here City Limits’ staff writer Sadef Kully discuss the pros and cons of the change, and read her story on the subject here.