HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

ABOLISH ALL ZONING. Lets not mince words. For over a century, zoning laws have been used predominantly for the nefarious goal of protecting affluent and predominantly white neighborhoods from "undesirables".  NYC`s 1961 Zoning Laws have Robert Moses` racist fingerprints all over them and they have led to a massive stranglehold on new development in the city and are directly responsible for the current citywide housing crisis. The 1916 Zoning Code of NYC would have allowed for an estimated population of 55 million people in New York City, but the 1969 Zoning Code reduced that number to just 12 million. Abolishing zoning will allow developers to build the housing needed in the areas people want to live, instead of the poorest neighborhoods in the city bearing  the burden of increasing the city`s density, and forcing out existing residents who cannot afford the area`s new rising prices. Building more units is the best way the city can lower rents for all New Yorkers and climb out of this housing crisis and increase the dismal 1.4% vacancy rate.

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As I mention in my Saving Small Businesses policy I believe that abolish zoning will push developers to build a lot more mixed used buildings were strictly regulated under the 1961 code. This will help bring communities together, have livelier streets, eyes on the streets for safety, and more spaces for small businesses to operate.

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The City Of Yes plan has the right intentions and the right energy, but at the end of day it is still too much government deciding what type of housing the city needs and does not need. I believe this will lead to slow execution of new housing that is desperately needed. I believe the city needs TWO MILLION new units of housing in the next 10 years. Abolishing Zoning will give developers flexibility to try new innovative things and try to provide new types of housing and business spaces for the city. There are many people living in housing that is 100 years old and not adequate for this new century. There are people living in uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous, but cannot move out because there is not enough housing, and therefore not any housing people in need can afford. I am talking about members of the LGBTQ community who have been kicked out by their families and victims of domestic abuse. 

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The more we build vertical the more horizontal place we have for third places for our New Yorkers. Third Places like community centers, parks, sporting facilities, libraries, schools, theaters, etc. By the end of my first term I plan to have every lot in my district with either new housing, under construction, or at minimum a finalized plan waiting to begin construction.

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​Additional Policies: Legalizing construction of new SROs and other alternative housing, encourage nonprofit developers to build bigger, and develop Community Land Trusts to ensure affordable housing.