City Council passes new legislation to further equity in affordable housing production, but without teeth.

The City Council yesterday unanimously passed Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' Fair Housing Framework legislation, which has worthy goals--to further equity in affordable housing production, given widely disparate amounts of income-restricted units built across the 59 community districts--but no teeth.

According to the summary, city agencies now have to create and submit to the Mayor and the Speaker of the Council a fair housing assessment and plan every five years, first due by October 1, 2025. As noted by City Limits:

That assessment would set development targets, including for supportive housing—homes that come paired with support services like mental healthcare—as well as units for older New Yorkers and apartments for households earning at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income (equal to $84,720 for a family of four).

A year later, the administering agency would submit an assessment of long-term citywide housing needs, five-year production targets distributed to the community district level, and a strategic equity framework that would report on the progress made towards the housing production targets set, obstacles and strategies for furthering fair housing across community districts, focusing on preservation of affordable housing, anti-displacement resources and neighborhood investments for underserved communities. 

While a report would have to be submitted on the progress made by the City towards implementing the strategies set out in both parts of the housing assessment, there are no further requirements or penalties, as City Limits (and others) pointed out.

A graphic on City Limits suggests that the 35th District, which includes almost all of the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park site, contributed 2,509 affordable units between 2014 and 2021, above average for the city. A good number are in Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park, which currently has 1,374 such apartments, though 240 arrived this year, in the 595 Dean complex.

The press release

The press release, New York City Council Members, Housing Advocates and Labor Celebrate Passage of Speaker Adams’ Fair Housing Framework Bill in Response to City’s Housing Crisis, contains enthusaistic support from Council Members and advocacy groups.

A few excerpts:

“This year, only 11,000 new units were added to the housing market – which is far below the amount needed to sustain our growing population and dent the housing crisis,” said Council Member Erik Bottcher. “We can and must do far better than this. The lack of affordable housing is the most central crisis facing our City."

“This City has needed a plan like the Fair Housing Framework for a long time,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “It is a bold plan that centers the needs of some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers, while meaningfully addressing both housing production and preservation. I commend Speaker Adrienne Adams for addressing New York City’s housing crisis with real solutions and look forward to working with her and my colleagues to deliver affordable and accessible housing for all.”

“ANHD has long called for a more equitable and intentional approach to planning in New York City, because we have seen how the status quo approach reinforces longstanding patterns of racial and economic inequality,” said Barika X. Williams, Executive Director of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development. “Today’s Fair Housing Plan legislation is an important step towards that goal, and presents a clear example of the type of nuanced, holistic planning it will take to move beyond our entrenched affordability and homelessness crisis and towards a future city where all of our communities have the opportunity to thrive.”