Op-Ed | New Yorkers are saying ‘Yes’ to more affordable housing and ‘City of Yes’

Last week, the City Planning Commission listened to the voices of countless New Yorkers and said ‘yes’ to the “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” — the most pro-housing changes in the history of the city’s zoning code. New Yorkers cannot afford to wait any longer for affordable housing. With a 1.4 percent vacancy rate and the rent being too damn high, families are getting priced out left and right.

To deliver the affordable housing New Yorkers need and deserve, every level of government has a role to play. Our administration and the state came together to meet this generational crisis head-on, and now, the City Council has their moment in front of them. 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.

New Yorkers from every corner of our city are joining us in saying ‘yes.’ From housing advocates and labor to clergy and New Yorkers who were on the verge of homelessness, everyday people see the importance of advancing bold ideas and big solutions to this current crisis. 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.  

The numbers show that these proposals are widely popular. A new poll found that 72 percent of voters approved of the City of Yes when it was explained to them. And when New Yorkers hear the facts about of City of Yes, they leave saying “yes” to the proposal. This is why it is critical for all New Yorkers to spread the word about the proposal in houses of worship, their workplace, or wherever you may go.

We hope every councilmember will take this opportunity to join New Yorkers in saying ‘yes’ to our City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, and help us build a future that is more affordable for working families, veterans, families, immigrants, and older adults. We have already done so much good work together on housing, and I know we can continue to do even more.

Affordable housing has been a day one priority of our administration and we have the track record to show it. We have had back-to-back record-breaking years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing, committed a record $26 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan, and successfully advocated for several new tools in Albany to build faster, more affordable housing — to name a few of our wins. Together, with all these wins and City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, we are striving to achieve our moonshot goal of 500,000 new homes by 2032.

Every new home in our city means more jobs, lower rents, a stronger economy, and a better future for all New Yorkers. I look forward to working together to build our way out of this housing crisis and to open the doors of opportunity to the next generation of New Yorkers.