September 25, 2024
Most Pro-Housing Proposal in City History WouldCreate as Many as 108,850 New Homes in 15 Years
Proposal Now Goes to City Council for Hearing and Final Vote
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today celebrated the CPC’s vote to approve “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” a historic zoning proposal to enable the creation of a “little more housing in every neighborhood.” As New York City faces a generational housing crisis with just a 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate, the proposal would allow for the creation of up to 108,850 new homes over the next 15 years. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will head to the New York City Council for a hearing and final vote before the end of the year.
“Today, the City Planning Commission listened to the voices of countless New Yorkers and said, ‘yes’ to the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,’” said Mayor Adams. “New Yorkers cannot afford to wait any longer. With a 1.4 percent vacancy rate and the rent being too damn high, families are getting priced out. The only way to solve this crisis is to build more. Now, it is time for the City Council to meet the moment. I urge councilmembers to join New Yorkers in supporting this proposal and building a future that’s more affordable for working-class families, that provides peace of mind for older adults who want to age in place, and that allows our young people to live comfortably in the greatest city on the globe. That starts with them saying ‘yes’ to this once-in-a-generation housing proposal.”
“‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ is mission critical for addressing our housing crisis, and we celebrate the CPC's vote to approve this historic zoning proposal,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “We can add CPC's approval to the chorus of support we are hearing across the five boroughs, including from four borough presidents, close to 20 community boards, nearly 150 organizations of the ‘Yes to Housing’ Coalition, and New Yorkers from all walks of life who know that tackling the housing crisis is the defining task of our generation.”
“With a historically low vacancy rate and many New Yorkers struggling to find housing, the time for action is now. It will take all of us to address New York City’s housing crisis and ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ will help to get us there,” said CPC Chair and DCP Director Garodnick. “Thanks to today’s vote by the City Planning Commission, we’re closer than ever to setting our city on a more affordable, equitable, and livable path.”
“The City Planning Commission’s favorable vote on the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal means we’re one step closer to meeting the deep and varied housing needs of New Yorkers," said New York City Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “By enabling a little more housing in every neighborhood, we can make a big dent in our housing shortage while ushering in a more fair and equitable housing landscape. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the City Council to pass this historic proposal!”
“City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” is the most pro-housing set of zoning changes in New York's history. The proposal includes:
- Creating the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP), a bonus allowing roughly 20 percent more housing in developments, as long as the additional homes are permanently affordable. If UAP was enacted it 2014, it would have generated an estimated 20,000 income-restricted homes.
- Legalizing small accessory dwelling units (ADUs), like backyard cottages or converted garages, giving homeowners extra income and allowing them to stay close to family.
- Investing in transit-oriented development and Town Center zoning, which would allow three-to-five story apartment buildings to be built near transit and along commercial corridors.
- Allowing development on large lots known as campuses, including faith-based organizations, that are today limited by outdated rules from using existing development rights.
- Lifting arbitrary and costly parking mandates for new residential construction, while still allowing for off-street parking as needed.
- Enacting new high-density zoning districts that would allow more housing, including mandatory affordable housing, in high-demand, central areas where it is urgently needed.
- Re-legalizing small and shared housing models with common facilities like kitchens.
- Making it easier for conversion of offices and other non-residential building into housing.
The CPC’s approval of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity follows an extensive public review process, including over 175 Community Board meetings, 10 public information sessions, a CPC hearing in which a majority of speakers testified in favor of the proposal, and more. The proposal also received favorable recommendations from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
Since the start of his administration, Mayor Adams has made record investments towards creating and preserving affordable housing. In July, Mayor Adams announced back-to-back record breaking years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. In June, the Adams administration delivered an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invests $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed a record $26 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a general housing crisis. In July, Mayor Adams and others also announced a landmark $500 million investment from the Battery Park City Authority’s Joint Purpose Fund to build and maintain affordable housing. And this past spring, thanks to Mayor Adams’ vision and leadership, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation.
Further, the Adams administration is using every tool available to address the city’s housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create ADUs that will not only help them to afford to remain in the communities they call home, but also to build generational wealth for families.
Earlier this year, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.
Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city is fulfilling its 2024 State of the City commitment to build more affordable housing, including by being ahead of schedule on advancing two dozen affordable housing projects on city-owned land this year through the “24 in ‘24” initiative, reopening the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program waitlist after being closed to general applications for nearly 15 years, and creating the Tenant Protection Cabinet to coordinate across agencies to better serve tenants. The city has also taken several steps to cut red tape and speed up the delivery of much-needed housing, including through the “Green Fast Track for Housing,” a streamlined environmental review process for qualifying small- and medium-sized housing projects; the “Office Conversion Accelerator,” an interagency effort to guide buildings that wish to convert through city bureaucracy; and other initiatives of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Taskforce.
"The City of Yes Zoning for Housing Opportunity offers several crucial solutions to address our city's severe housing crisis,” saidBronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. “As New York City continues to attract families, it's vital that we expand housing options to manage growth and curb rising rents. This proposal represents a significant step towards making our city more affordable. As Bronx Borough President, I see firsthand how current housing policies fail to meet the needs of many New Yorkers, especially those in the Bronx with median incomes of $40,000 or less. With new housing development at historic lows and rising costs for maintenance and insurance, it's clear that outdated zoning ordinances must be revised. The ‘City of Yes’ proposal includes measures to reduce these outdated regulations, incentivize affordable housing, and promote development near mass transit. I appreciate the collaborative effort between Mayor Eric Adams, DCP Dan Garodnick, and other city agencies to address these issues comprehensively and support this proposal with my recommended conditions and observations."
“New York City’s is facing an unprecedented housing crisis, and the main culprit is our persistent lack of new units. We need to make it easier to build housing, and that includes eliminating zoning regulations that hinder new construction,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “'City of Yes for Housing Opportunity' is a thoughtful proposal that will bring our zoning resolution into the 21st century and help to create the housing that New York City so desperately needs. I’m thrilled that the City Planning Commission voted to approve this proposal, and I’m hopeful that the City Council will agree that we must take bold action now.”
"Our city is facing housing and affordability crises the likes of which haven't been seen in generations,” saidQueens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “It is abundantly clear that the only realistic solution to these crises is to build more affordable housing as rapidly and strategically as possible across our city. All of Queens' community boards highlighted significant concerns about potential impacts on Queens infrastructure and the need for deeper, affordable housing. Balancing these two critical issues will require thoughtful collaboration and robust commitments from the City and the State. I believe we can get there with ‘City of Yes.’"
“New York City is one step closer to building the housing that New Yorkers so urgently need,” said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq., president and CEO,New York Building Congress.“Every community has recognized the lack of housing opportunities, particularly for those looking for affordable housing, and ‘City of Yes’ will help make sure every neighborhood is a part of the solution. As the City Council begins its review, the Building Congress and our members are ready to work with our leaders on finally tackling our housing shortage and affordability crisis.”
"With City of Yes, Mayor Adams and his team are advancing a thoughtful plan that reflects the gravity of our housing crisis and offers a comprehensive approach to making housing more abundant, accessible, and affordable - all while promoting more equitable neighborhoods as it enables a wide-range of housing types that fit the character of each community,” said Rafael E. Cestero, CEO, Community Preservation Corporation.“With the City Planning Commission’s support of ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,’ we’re continuing to do the right thing by saying yes to the ‘City of Yes’ as we work together to unlock new development opportunity and ensure a brighter future for all New York City residents.”
“Outdated or misguided zoning acts as a brake on the range of housing options available to New Yorkers, and is a root cause of our affordability crisis,” said Howard Slatkin, executive director, Citizens Housing and Planning Council. “Today’s commission vote represents a critical step away from a mindset that new housing is a problem to be managed, and toward embracing it as a solution to the diverse needs of New Yorkers in all our neighborhoods, at every stage of their lives. These zoning reforms won’t on their own end our housing shortage and affordability crisis, but we cannot escape it without them.”
“Our agency has recommended that local governments explore adjusting zoning codes to promote the availability of new housing while preserving existing buildings,” said Sara C. Bronin, chair, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. “Many of the changes voted on today are aligned with our recent policy statement on housing and historic preservation including facilitating office-to-residential conversions, legalizing ADUs, ending parking minimums, and enabling eased transfers of development rights from historic properties. These updates will support new housing in New York City, and we applaud the administration’s efforts to leverage the city’s historic built environment to support housing.”
“Today’s vote has momentous potential to help address our historic housing supply deficit,” said Sabrina Lippman, CEO, Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County. “Building a New York where everyone can access affordable housing and achieve housing stability requires dismantling systems that intentionally prevent housing from being built and unlocking opportunities across all communities. The ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ incentivizes affordable housing in new developments and reduces barriers for faith communities, transit-rich neighborhoods, and homeowners to build homes for — and with — their neighbors.”
“Housing Rights Initiative is excited to see that the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ plan has been approved by the City Planning Commission. New York City’s housing crisis is so severe that policymakers have a responsibility to use every tool in the box to expand the supply of affordable housing in every single neighborhood,” said Aaron Carr, founder and executive director, Housing Rights Initiative. “We're glad that the members of the commission have done the right thing and sent this plan forward to the City Council. Doing so is a step towards building a city that houses every single New Yorker.”
“By lifting arbitrary and costly parking mandates the City of New York will join more than 75 cities in the U.S. who have said YES to neighborhoods with more housing, YES to more transportation options, and YES to a more vibrant and sustainable future,” said Tony Jordan, president, Parking Reform Network. “This reform will not upend communities, people who depend on cars today will still have access to the amenities and services they depend on. What will happen is that more people will have the opportunity to live in this amazing city and enjoy access to all it has to offer in a more sustainable and affordable way.”
“Today's ‘City of Yes’ vote is a capstone on the best-run public feedback process ever captured on camera. The CPC set all-time records for staff endurance and hearing length to guarantee full participation for all community voices. Public input is typically a one-way performance with little real exchange; by contrast, Chair Garodnick and the whole CPC truly engaged the public, asking clarifying questions and fact-checking in real time,” said Alex Armlovich, senior housing policy analyst, Niskanen Center. “Community feedback on this thoughtful, homeowner-friendly community development plan has ensured it will not change the character of communities or alter the skyline. But it will still succeed as a down payment on Mayor Adams' housing moonshot goal to end New York City's housing shortage.”
“‘City of Yes for Housing’ is a critical first step towards what needs to be a citywide and regional commitment to build more affordable housing,” said Chloe Sarnoff, director of policy research and initiatives, Robin Hood. “The proposal will help ensure that every community does its part to make New York City a more affordable place to live.”
“Along with New Yorkers who are looking for action and solutions to the city’s housing affordability, we applaud the City Planning Commission’s vote today and moving the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ forward,” said Chad Purkey, interim executive director, Association for a Better New York. “In its effort to help create a little more housing across the city, this rezoning package appropriately prioritizes choice over mandates, addressing outdated zoning requirements that have proved ineffective in allowing communities to decide what they need as their residents, families, business districts, and institutions evolve.”
“The Bronx Chamber of Commerce is thrilled about the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ as this legislation is critical for Bronx residents and the future of our local economy,” said Lisa Sorin, president, Bronx Chamber of Commerce. “This forward-thinking legislation will not only address the critical housing shortage but also stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and enhance the vibrancy of our neighborhoods. We believe it is a crucial step toward a more equitable and prosperous future for the Bronx and all New Yorkers.”
“In Downtown Brooklyn, we know that building mixed-income homes is absolutely essential not only in addressing the ongoing housing crisis in the city, but also to bring a real sense of community to our mixed-use neighborhoods,” said Regina Myer, president, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ will make it possible to build much-needed homes throughout the five boroughs while also enriching the vibrancy and community of our bustling retail and business corridors. We applaud the City Planning Commission for moving this important initiative forward and paving a way for more housing in New York City.”
“The Long Island City Partnership thanks the Department of City Planning and the City Planning Commission for their work on this proposal. The ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ is critical for creating housing options that align with New York City’s growth and help address the affordability crisis,” said Laura Rothrock, president, Long Island City Partnership. “As the fastest-growing neighborhood in New York City, and a focal point for rezoning proposals that will shape its future, Long Island City stands to benefit greatly from this plan. It will unlock new opportunities for affordable, inclusive housing that supports local businesses and residents. By creating pathways for sustainable development, we can ensure Long Island City remains a thriving, diverse waterfront community, maintaining its momentum for years to come.”
“Our city’s housing crisis will not be solved until we remove barriers to efficient and cost-effective development, which is exactly what ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ accomplishes,” said Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO, Partnership for New York City. “This is the most significant action to date to achieve our housing goals and it should be quickly approved by the City Council without dilutive amendments.”
“Congratulations to everyone involved in achieving today's City Planning Commission approval, which brings New York City one step closer to allowing every community to do its part to address NYC's urgent housing crisis,” said Julie Stein, executive director, Union Square Partnership. “’City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ will allow for more housing production throughout the five boroughs, to the benefit of both our residents and our businesses. As we highlighted in Making New York Work for Everyone, employers need to know they can attract and retain talent in NYC and that this talent will have stable and secure housing, making housing fundamental to achieving full vibrancy in our business districts.”
“We applaud the City Planning Commission for voting in favor of the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ zoning amendment, which at once addresses the severe housing shortage in our city while also offering a clear roadmap toward a more sustainable and equitable future,” said Alia Soomro, deputy director, New York City Policy for the New York League of Conservation Voters. “Whether eliminating outdated parking mandates or encouraging more transit-oriented development, this proposal will help create a more vibrant, inclusive, and environmentally-friendly city for all New Yorkers.”
“AIA New York is proud to support ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ and applauds the City Planning Commission for saying Yes to Housing,” said Jesse Lazar, executive director, American Institute of Architects New York. “These practical changes to the city's zoning are critical to enabling the development of housing citywide. The proposal recognizes that New York City needs housing of all types - namely, missing middle housing - to address the supply and affordability challenges burdening New Yorkers. Our housing challenges have no simple fix, and this proposal, thanks to Mayor Adams, Chair Garodnick, and the commission's leadership, takes necessary steps in the right direction to build and adapt housing to accommodate New York City’s growing needs.”
“We are proud to celebrate the City Planning Commission’s approval of the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,’” said Brenda Rosen, president and CEO of Breaking Ground. “Today is another critical step toward enacting long-overdue zoning changes that will ensure every neighborhood contributes to solving our housing crisis. Too many New Yorkers have been left out in the cold by the policy choices of the past. As ‘City of Yes’ goes before the New York City Council, we urge all 51 Council Members to vote ‘yes’ so that we can get to work building a more equitable and affordable city for all.”
“At Chhaya, we see every day how the housing crisis plays out in our communities in displacement, overcrowding, tenant harassment, homelessness, and elusive homeownership dreams. New Yorkers need our government to take bold action and the ‘City of Yes’ policy paves the way for us to tackle this problem at its root,” said Annetta Seecharran, executive director, Chhaya Community Development Corporation. “Every New Yorker benefits from this sensible policy – if our neighbors are adequately housed, we all gain.”
“The ‘City of Yes’ is more than just a physical place to live – it represents opportunity, stability, and hope for thousands of people across New York City, particularly older adults. This is an important step in ensuring older adults are able to age with dignity and respect in the communities they helped build,” said Stacy Bliagos, executive director, HANAC, Inc. "As we continue efforts to address the city's housing shortage and provide accessible housing for vulnerable communities, HANAC supports these much-needed housing initiatives and creating long and short-term solutions to these challenges."
“With housing costs continuing to climb, widening the racial wealth gap, New York City has an urgent need to create more housing,” said Valerie White, senior executive director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation New York. “We must continue to explore every possible tool to combat this housing crisis and deliver lower costs for New Yorkers to ensure our city has an equitable, accessible future.”
“Today’s vote by the City Planning Commission on the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ brings us one step closer to building the housing New Yorkers desperately need by overhauling our outdated zoning system,” said Rachel Fee, executive director, New York Housing Conference. “In a city with a rental vacancy rate of just 1.4 percent and where half of New Yorkers are rent-burdened, we can’t afford to delay any further. We call on the City Council to follow in City Planning’s footsteps and take the bold action we need by saying “yes” to more housing in every neighborhood.”
“With a dire housing shortage and historically low vacancy rates, it’s vital that we build more homes in every neighborhood. ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ represents the first chance in decades to make that happen,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director, Open New York. “Today’s vote marks an important step in New York’s push to build more homes and lower prices, shifting the balance of power away from landlords and back toward renters.”
“We congratulate DCP and the administration on this momentous step toward a more livable city. Our outdated zoning code has contributed to our housing and affordability crises; ‘City of Yes’ will help lift us out,” said Sara Lind, co-executive director, Open Plans. “Eliminating parking requirements is an essential piece of the strategy, both on its own and in concert with the other provisions of the text amendment. With this reform we can build more affordable housing, use valuable space for people instead of cars, and make streets more safe and vibrant. These reforms are long-overdue, sensible adjustments that will set New York City up for smart growth for the next generation. We look forward to continuing to support this historic text amendment as it enters the next stage of the process.”
“Far too many New Yorkers have never been able to afford stable housing, yet this is the foundation upon which stable lives are built. At Project Renewal, one of the city's largest homeless services providers, we see the consequences of this failure every day. Housing instability is deeply intertwined with other challenges like mental illness, substance use disorders, and criminal justice involvement,” said Eric Rosenbaum, president and CEO, Project Renewal. “The ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ delivers meaningful opportunities to create affordable housing that can set New Yorkers up for success, making our city a fairer, safer, and more vibrant place to live and work.”
"The ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ is the most consequential land use proposal of our generation. It provides a set of common-sense changes that will ensure every community is doing their part to address our housing crisis," said Tom Wright, president and CEO, Regional Plan Association. "We applaud the City Planning Commission for choosing to move forward with a more welcoming, affordable and sustainable city and call on City Council to follow suit."
“We applaud the commission’s approval of this critically important proposal. As working New Yorkers from across the five boroughs, our members are all too aware of New York City’s housing crisis,” said Manny Pastreich, president, 32BJ Service Employees International Union. “More than half of New York’s renters – including many of our members – are paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent, and the vacancy rate of rental apartments is the lowest it has been since 1968. The housing shortage – and the resulting cost of housing has also put homeownership increasingly out of reach, even for New Yorkers with good union jobs and a steady paycheck. If New York is to remain a city where working people can live and thrive, we must fix this. That’s why we’re proud to support the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal to update zoning to allow more housing across the city. The plan rises to meet the moment, builds on the progress made in Albany earlier this year, and will create housing options for working people at every stage of life.”
“The approval of the ‘City of Yes’ plan by the City Planning Commission is an exciting and critical step forward to address our vast housing needs," said Grace Rauh, executive director,5BORO Institute. "As the 5BORO Institute detailed in our landmark housing report last fall, the high cost of housing and lack of inventory is a barrier for far too many New Yorkers and would-be residents of our great city. The ‘City of Yes’ removes key obstacles that limit our housing supply and the diversity of housing options, helping address the root causes of our housing and affordability crisis.”
"The ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ takes some important steps to solving New York City’s housing crisis—to build more housing, everywhere, of all types, for everyone, to clear the immense backlog of unmet need and to support growth,” said Andrew S. Rein, president, Citizens Budget Commission. "By helping to boost housing production, ‘City of Yes’ will help improve affordability, bolster the tax base, and strengthen the city’s economy and competitiveness.”
"We all want to age with dignity and purpose, and for that we need affordable housing designed with the needs of aging adults in mind,” said Kathryn Haslanger, CEO, Jewish Association Serving the Aging.“And for New York City's older adults, this housing crisis means that we need to build 400,000 units of affordable senior housing by 2040. ‘City of Yes’ is an important step to address this supply crisis.”
“As New York confronts a worsening housing crisis disproportionately impacting our immigrant communities, we were encouraged to see today’s important milestone in the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ zoning reforms,” said Thomas Yu, executive director, Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE). “Across three decades, AAFE has been proud to work with the city to develop innovative affordable housing models. There has never been a greater need for bold solutions to increase housing supply for millions of vulnerable rent burdened New Yorkers. We at AAFE are committed to collaborating with our communities and partners in government to ensure tenant and homeowner protections, along with long-term housing affordability.”
“Housing supply is directly related to affordability, and it is our collective responsibility to support policies that create new homes. ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ will make sure that every neighborhood does its fair share to increase our housing stock and help rents go down,” said Richards Khuzami, president, Old Astoria Neighborhood Association. “We’re glad to see the City Planning Commission vote in favor of this proposal and encourage the City Council to do the same.”
"It's time to house people — not cars. We applaud the City Planning Commission's vote to approve ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ and lift outdated mandates that make housing in New York City more expensive,” said Elizabeth Adams, interim co-executive director, Transportation Alternatives. “Investing in transit-oriented housing and removing parking mandates is essential to combatting the climate crisis and creating a more livable and affordable city.”
“The City Planning Commission’s approval of ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ is a great step forward to address the housing affordability crisis for all New Yorkers,” said Julie Samuels, president and CEO, Tech:NYC. “New York City has a booming tech ecosystem because it is simply the best place to live and work, and for the tech sector to continue to prosper, lifelong New Yorkers and new arrivals must be able to afford to live here. We look forward to the City Council approving this plan by the end of the year.”
“Considering that older adults make up the fastest growing age group of people becoming homeless, NYC must explore all avenues to create more affordable and deeply affordable senior housing,” said Paul Freitag, executive director, West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, Inc. (WSFSSH).“WSFSSH supports the zoning changes that will be brought about by City of Yes for Housing that will increase the capacity to build affordable housing in all neighborhoods throughout the city.”
