(The Center Square) — The New York City Council has approved Mayor Eric Adams’ $5 billion “City of Yes” housing plan, which calls for the creation of 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years.
The plan, approved on a 31-20 vote, seeks to address the Big Apple’s housing crisis by changing zoning regulations to allow more residential units to be built. It will also allow empty office buildings in Manhattan to be converted into new housing, ease parking requirements for new buildings and encourage new single-room apartments or so-called accessory dwelling units.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said the plan — billed as the first major overhaul to the city’s zoning laws in decades — confronts New York City’s housing crisis “by creating more housing, while respecting the differences of neighborhoods across the five boroughs and investing in New Yorkers.”
“By taking a major step to address the housing shortage, while supporting existing homeowners and tenants, making housing more affordable, expanding homeownership opportunities, and strengthening the infrastructure of neighborhoods, we are advancing a safer and stronger city,” she said in a statement.
Mayor Adams praised council members for approving the “historic” plan, saying it will help make the “American dream” of owning a home a reality for more New Yorkers.
“We showed the nation that government can still be bold and brave by passing the most pro-housing piece of legislation in city history,” he said in a statement. “Our administration proposed and fought hard for this proposal for more than a year, and now New Yorkers are the ones who will benefit from lower rent.”
New York is struggling amid a major housing shortage following years of population growth far outpacing new development. Between 2010 and 2018, the number of new jobs in New York City rose by 22%, while the number of housing units increased by 4%, according to a recent analysis by the Citizens Budget Commission, a nonprofit watchdog.
Critics had pushed back against the housing plan, arguing that it would benefit real estate developers and allow for the rezoning of many single-family neighborhoods. Opponents have packed City Hall meetings to complain about the impact of the proposed neighborhoods. It also faced opposition from members of the council who voted against it.
Councilman Robert Holden, who chairs the Council’s Common Sense Caucus, said approval of Adams’ housing plan “marks a dark day for New York.”
“This isn’t about creating affordable housing — it’s about giving developers a blank check to reshape our city without accountability or safeguards,” the Republican posted on social media. “This plan is a developer’s dream but a neighborhood’s nightmare, forcing overdevelopment onto communities already grappling with strained infrastructure.”
