Mayor Eric Adams has blasted neighborhood activists for refusing to address the city’s housing shortage, including through a “Yes City” proposal that would overhaul zoning regulations and allow the construction of tens of thousands of more housing units.
Mayor and Housing and Preservation Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrion said on 107.5 WBLS radio that 49 of 59 community boards have failed to provide enough housing units.
They said 10 community boards built as many new homes as the other 49 combined.
“If we’re 49 community boards saying we don’t want housing built here, that’s a problem,” Adams said Sunday. “We can’t say housing is a right on Monday and then say on Tuesday we don’t want housing built on our block.”
Thirty-eight community boards voted nonbindingly against the city’s proposed housing bill, which is projected to build 100,000 new apartments and other housing units over 15 years. Eighteen boards supported the bill and the rest were undecided.
The board is expected to vote on the ambitious plan by the end of the year.
“I don’t want it in my backyard” is a common objection. Many community boards also opposed former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s mandatory inclusive housing plan, which the City Council approved anyway.
Adams said the city’s housing vacancy rate is 1.4 percent, the lowest in nearly 60 years.
The mayor, who said there is a need for more housing for college graduates and seniors, asked Carrion how many of the city’s 59 community boards are building affordable housing.
“Unfortunately, out of 59 community boards, only 10 are building affordable housing,” he responded, “and the other 49 refuse to do it. The other 49 are obstructionists. I like to say this: They live in a no city, and there are 10 who live in a yes city. We can’t be a no city.”
Adams’ “Yes City for Economic Opportunity” plan would give developers a “bonus” to build 20 percent more expensive buildings if they dedicate the extra space to below-market-rate apartments.
It would allow more apartments to be built on the upper floors of buildings around transport hubs and in commercial districts, and would allow homeowners to build apartments of up to 800 square feet in their basements, garages and attics.
Additionally, the proposal would update zoning rules to make it easier to convert office buildings into apartments.
One proposal that has drawn resistance would eliminate parking requirements, such as requiring developers to provide 25 or 50 parking spaces for every 100 apartments.
Opponents generally oppose dense residential development, arguing it will change the character of the area, lead to more congestion and put strain on infrastructure and other services.
Carrion urged citizens who want more affordable housing options to increase pressure on their elected representatives.
“When we hear city council members say this is not good for the future of the city, we need to challenge them there and then. Unfortunately, there were quite a few council members who were opposed to it initially. We need to say we don’t want to live in a no city, we want to live in a yes city,” he told the radio show.
City Council approval is not guaranteed.
Last month, The Post reported that lawmakers expressed concern over a proposed Metro-North neighborhood in the Bronx, which would build 7,500 new homes near four new train stations in Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City. Critics say the 46 blocks along the Metro-North rail line that the city wants to revitalize don’t even have enough schools, police officers, firefighters or sewer systems to handle the influx of new residents.
Adams’ plan must be reviewed and approved by the council’s Zoning and Land Use committees before it can be voted on by the full council. Bronx Councilman Kevin Reilly, who chairs the Zoning and Franchising Subcommittee, has expressed concerns about Metro-North’s plans for his district.
But Rafael Salamanca of the Bronx, a member of the Assembly’s Land Use Committee, said Monday he expects the plan to pass the Assembly with changes negotiated with lawmakers. He said eliminating parking requirements is an issue that must be addressed.
“This is a good plan. Every community needs housing and every community should play their fair share,” Salamanca said.
City Planning Director Dan Garodnick said Adams’ team is working to finalize the housing plan, but he said the status quo is unacceptable.
“The mayor is trying to take a bite out of a big problem, and doing nothing is just not an option,” Garodnick said.
