(The Center Square) — New York City voters approved several ballot questions Tuesday aimed at boosting the city’s housing stock, but rejected a plan to move the city’s elections to presidential election years.
Voters approved Questions 2 through 4, which were aimed at fast-tracking development of more affordable housing in the city by changing the process for approving projects, giving City Hall more authority over the review process and creating a new appeals board to reconsider rejected projects.
Question 2, which passed with 58.3% of the vote, will create two processes to fast-track certain sorts of affordable housing projects. That includes publicly financed affordable housing projects, as well as affordable housing projects in 12 community districts with the lowest rates of affordable housing development.
Question 3, which passed with nearly 56.8% of the vote, strips the City Council of its authority to conduct a final review of certain land-use projects. Meanwhile, Question 4, which passed by 58.3%, will create a new appeals board to consider rejections of affordable housing projects.
The housing ballot questions were also backed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said passage of the measures is a “victory for working families and a step toward a future all New Yorkers can afford.”
New Yorkers also rejected Question 6 on Tuesday, which would have moved local elections from odd-numbered years to the same year as presidential elections. Proponents of the measure claimed the move would increase voter turnout, which is generally higher in elections with the presidential race on the ballot.
Under the current system, citywide elections are held during odd-numbered years, and federal elections take place during even-numbered years.
The measure was defeated by a vote of 55.3% to 46.9% with 91% of the ballots counted, according to preliminary results.
The ballot questions were approved by Mayor Eric Adams’ hand-picked 13-member Charter Review Commission, which was viewed as an end-run around the Democratic-led City Council, which traditionally sets referendums for the ballot.
Council members asked the New York City Board of Elections to reject the referendums, arguing the changes would usurp its authority on housing development and other decisions. But the board approved the measures despite those objections.
The battle over the ballot questions added to the friction between Adams and the Council, with the mayor accusing the council of an “illegal attempt to usurp democracy and strip New York City voters of their right to have a voice on issues that would eliminate barriers to housing.”
In a statement, a City Council spokesperson said passage of the “misleading” ballot proposals will “permanently change the City’s constitution to weaken democracy, lasting beyond the next mayor when we inevitably have a mayor who is bad on housing, equity, and justice for communities.”
“This will leave our city without the checks and balances of democracy to protect New Yorkers and ensure outcomes that prioritize them, not simply profits,” the statement said.
