The Adams administration’s key housing proposal, City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, is facing its next major challenge: the City Council. After being approved by the City Planning Commission, the proposal aims to create up to 109,000 homes across the city.
Key features include eliminating parking requirements for new housing, promoting affordable housing with zoning incentives, legalizing accessory dwelling units, and encouraging office-to-residential conversions. The proposal has drawn opposition, particularly from outer-borough representatives, and concerns from commissioners like Alfred Cerrullo and Leah Goodridge over its one-size-fits-all approach and modest affordability provisions.
Developers secured changes to the proposal, including density bonuses and the ability to meet affordable housing requirements through offsite construction. Public housing campuses were exempted from provisions that allow housing development on underutilized spaces. The City Planning Commission also voted on additional projects, including a 270-apartment complex in Borough Park and converting office space at 10 Rockefeller Center into a hotel.
While a majority of community boards opposed the proposal, nearly half supported it, along with four out of five borough presidents. The proposal now heads to the City Council, where it faces further scrutiny amid ongoing investigations into the Adams administration. Despite the political challenges, Mayor Adams emphasized the need to build more housing to address the city’s crisis, urging the Council to “meet the moment.”
