Adams looks to develop 24 affordable housing projects on public sites across NYC

January 24, 2024

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

The city will push forward 24 residential developments on city-owned properties across the five boroughs. During his State of the City address on Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams unveiled several proposals addressing the ongoing housing crisis, including a new initiative called “24 in 24.” The plan calls for two dozen affordable housing projects on public land, which could create and preserve over 12,000 affordable apartments.

NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

As City Hall officials first told the New York Post, the plan includes at least three sites slated to become affordable housing developments, including 388 Hudson Street in Greenwich Village, the Hunters Point South Parcel E in Long Island City, and a parking lot in Inwood. According to the Post, the Grand Concourse Library in the Bronx is slated to be part of the initiative; more sites will be announced in the coming months.

The plan involves the city’s Housing, Preservation and Development, New York City Housing Authority, and the Economic Development Corporation.

Adams also announced plans to reopen the NYCHA voucher waitlist this year, with the goal of issuing 1,000 vouchers per month. The waitlist has been closed since 2009.

Another proposal includes the creation of the Tenant Protection Cabinet, a multi-agency-led group supporting tenants. The cabinet will allow city agencies to seek coordination and efficiency across departments, leverage resources, and shape current and future services to better protect tenants and keep New Yorkers in their homes, according to a press release.

During Wednesday’s speech, Adams called on the City Council to approve his “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal, which would update restrictive zoning rules to allow for more housing. The plan is currently under public review.

“We cannot say ‘no’ to our neighbors and our fellow New Yorkers. We must be a ‘City of Yes,’ ‘yes’ in my backyard, ‘yes’ on my block, ‘yes’ in my city,” Adams said. “That is why we introduced our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ plan to build a little more housing in every neighborhood. And we’re excited for the City Council to say ‘yes’ to this plan later this year.”