The migrant crisis in New York has reached critical levels. There is a dearth of affordable housing in the city, especially as hundreds of asylum seekers arrive daily. Despite numerous pleas from Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, we have received very little federal aid to help manage a spiraling situation.
During an address on ‘Future of Housing in New York City’ at the Borough of Manhattan Community College on September 21, 2023, Mayor Adams announced that he is launching the “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal, a plan that addresses the growing housing shortage by changing zoning laws throughout the city. The current zoning resolution followed by the city was implemented in 1961. It was an important driver of housing segregation, prioritizing the building of highways and cars over housing and mass transit. Consequently, we are facing the greatest shortage of affordable housing the city has ever seen, resulting in astronomical rents that price out numerous New Yorkers and cause them to leave the city.
While this situation is a priority, it must be noted that in changing this law, areas like the145th Street, Lenox Avenue corridor and the vacant lots within Lenox Terrace will face less opposition as the law that prevented them from initially being developed will be removed. It remains to be seen if these laws will address height restrictions based on neighborhood designs and architecture.
Some elements of the plan are:
- Ending Parking Mandates for new housing
- A universal affordability preference for seniors and low-income families making units permanently affordable
- Shared Living Spaces where kitchens and bathrooms are shared
- Town Center “Main Streets” Zoning – allowing 2 and 4 story residential homes to be built in commercial corridors (like 145th & Lenox) over ground-floor commercial space
- Transit Oriented Development – connecting new housing to accessible public transportation
- Accessory Dwelling Units – legalizing renting of basement units and allowing building of dwellings of 800 square feet on one- and two-family properties across the five boroughs
- Converting Empty Offices into Housing
- Maximizing Campuses allowing schools and religious institutions to build on their properties
Additionally, in order for these changes to work in any area, infrastructure and vital resources will need to be reviewed and adjusted as an influx of residents move into a neighborhood. Though this won’t happen immediately, the plan is to have 100,000 new homes built over the next decade. As a result, police, sanitation, mass transit and other resources will have to be increased. However, on November 16th, in announcing the 2024 financial plan for the city, Mayor Adams proposed budget cuts amounting to all City agencies being slashed by five percent next year. To view the webcast, visit: Mayor Eric Adams Delivers Address on Future of Housing in New York City or read the transcript at https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/694-23/transcript-mayor-adams-delivers-address-future-housing-nyc-holds-in-person-media
Originally published in EG Gazette 2023 Winter Edition.
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