As Election Day approaches in New York City, voters will have more than just candidates to consider.
This Tuesday, New Yorkers can vote on six ballot initiatives: one at the state level and five focused on the city. These measures might drastically alter the process for approving affordable housing.
The initiative was crafted by the City Charter Commission, drawing from community feedback. However, it has sparked a battle between the City Council and Mayor Eric Adams, primarily because many proposed changes would restrict the Council’s authority over land use and zoning.
Members of the Council have criticized the initiative as “misleading.” Yet, advocates argue that it’s an essential step to resolve the ongoing housing crisis in the city.
So, what exactly are voters being asked to decide? Here’s a breakdown of each measure.
Ballot Measure 1: Allow an Olympic sports complex on state forest land in Essex County
This state proposal aims to retroactively authorize the Olympic sports complex near Lake Placid, which has hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1980, and covers over 1,000 acres of state forest. The amendments would permit the Olympic Regional Development Authority to continue using and enhancing the land, which has been technically used without authorization for about 45 years.
A vote in favor would permit the expansion of ski trails in upstate New York, along with adding 2,500 acres to forest preserves.
Ballot Proposal 2: Speed up the Affordable Housing process
This proposal intends to fast-track affordable housing developments by eliminating the lengthy Universal Land Use Review Process (ULURP), which usually takes seven months.
If approved, it would create two new processes that bypass the City Council. The first would empower the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) to approve publicly funded housing after a 60-day review by local Community Boards and a subsequent 30-day review by the BSA.
The second process would target affordable housing in the city’s 12 community districts with the least availability. This plan includes a 60-day review by local community boards followed by a 30-45 day review by the City Planning Commission (CPC) for final approval.
A no vote, on the other hand, would maintain the current ULURP process, keeping final decisions under the purview of the mayor and City Council.
Ballot Measure 3: Simplify the review for small housing and infrastructure projects
This measure introduces the Emergency Land Use Review Process (ELURP) for smaller projects, shifting most reviews away from the City Council.
It would allow the rezoning of buildings up to 45 feet tall in low-density areas and permit developers to add 30% more housing in medium to high-density neighborhoods.
ELURP establishes a 60-day review by the community board and borough president, followed by a final decision from the City Planning Commission.
Ballot Measure 4: Create an Affordable Housing Appeals Board
This initiative asks New Yorkers if they want to establish an appeals board that could override City Council decisions on affordable housing.
The board would consist of the City Council president, the local mayor, and the mayor. Currently, the City Council has final voting authority, while the mayor can veto decisions, an option that can be overturned by the Council. This new committee would be able to reverse the council’s denial by a two-to-one vote.
Ballot Proposal 5: Modernize city operations with digital maps
Surprisingly, New York City lacks a unified map defining streets, neighborhoods, and parks; each borough has its own official map with an estimated 8,000 paper maps in total. This measure would require the City Planning Department to create a city-wide map by January 2028 and a digital version by January 2029.
Ballot Measure 6: Align local elections with presidential election years
To boost voter turnout, this measure proposes moving local elections to coincide with presidential elections. Early voting for this mayoral election set records, yet off-year elections typically see higher turnout rates for presidential elections.
For instance, only about 23% of New Yorkers participated in local elections in 2021, while participation soared to over 60% in the 2024 presidential election. Notably, the City Council has not taken a position on this proposal from the Charter Commission.
