NYC Council to host hearings on ‘City of Yes’ housing plan
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
The New York City Council will host two hearings on Mayor Eric Adams’ City of Yes housing proposal this month before it heads to a final vote. Speaker Adrienne Adams announced the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will hold two days of public meetings: October 21 reserved for testimony from City Hall officials and October 22 for public testimony. The speaker also said the Council will put forward its own “thorough housing action plan” that will consider “holistic solutions” in addition to zoning changes.
Council approval is the last hurdle for the mayor’s zoning plan, which was approved by the City Planning Commission last month in a 10 to 3 vote. Developed as a solution to the city’s current housing crisis, the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan would update restrictive zoning codes to make it easier to build new housing in every neighborhood, like office-to-residential conversions, accessory dwelling units, and transit-oriented development.
Public review began earlier this month and all of the city’s borough presidents except Staten Island’s Vito Fossella came out in support of the project, while community boards have been more split in their support, according to City Limits.
The Council’s plan will likely negotiate to make sure the mayor’s proposal ensures affordability for the new homes constructed.
“New Yorkers in every community need access to safe, stable, and affordable housing to remain in our city and succeed. As the Council approaches its upcoming public meetings on the mayoral administration’s City of Yes: Zoning for Housing Opportunity proposal, we recognize that zoning reform is one important component to address the housing shortage facing New York City,” Speaker Adams said in a statement.
“Yet, zoning reform alone is not a housing plan and cannot address the wide-ranging housing needs of New Yorkers.”
The speaker said addressing the crisis requires more than just changes to zoning, but “holistic solutions” to make homes affordable, strengthen tenant protections, expand pathways to affordable homeownership, and more.
“While reviewing the Administration’s zoning proposal, the Council will put forward a thorough housing action plan for our city that matches the scale of the housing challenges facing New Yorkers,” she said. “We will pursue a full range of solutions that meets the diverse needs of our constituents to ensure that our city helps New Yorkers access the safety and stability we all deserve.”
The housing plan comes to the Council during an unstable moment at City Hall; Adams was indicted last month on federal bribery and corruption charges.
Members of the public who want to testify at the public hearing on Tuesday, October 22 can sign up in person, or online, in advance by visiting council.nyc.gov/landuse. Written testimony can be submitted up to 72 hours after the hearing to [email protected].
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