NYC Council Takes Steps to Develop Affordable Housing in Wealthy Areas
November 15, 2023
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ “Fair Housing Framework” would require city agencies to create a fair housing plan every five years to establish housing creation and preservation goals in each of New York’s 59 community districts. The plan would put a number on how many new units should be built in each area as the city grapples with an ongoing housing shortage. It comes as about half of New Yorkers are considered rent-burdened and struggle to afford the basics. The burden of New York’s housing crisis has been felt unequally across the city, with “high-opportunity” neighborhoods failing to do their fair share to address the problem. Disparities in affordable housing production by neighborhood “are even more severe than disparities in total housing production.” Councilman Rafael Salamanca described the current housing situation as “completely unacceptable” for new affordable housing to be concentrated only in certain neighborhoods. While the plan’s progress will be tracked on an ongoing basis, there’s no way to enforce its recommendations. The framework makes for a contrast with Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes” housing plan, and the first housing plan is due in January 2025.