FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 21, 2023
"'A little more housing in every neighborhood' is a big step forward for our city's quest for affordability and accessibility for all New Yorkers," said our President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura, Esq.
"As such, the New York Building Congress strongly supports and applauds Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, and City Planning Director Dan Garodnick for their ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ plan, a common-sense approach to addressing the city's zoning-based housing challenges. This initiative unlocks small-scale housing growth citywide through subtle yet impactful changes that may go unnoticed individually, but collectively unlock the potential for 100,000 new homes. Our members stand ready to build them. Now we need our legislative partners in Albany to seize on this momentum and pass much-needed reforms to supplement the gains of this plan and pull us out of this housing crisis.
‘City of Yes’ allows for the construction of additional housing floors above one-story storefronts, maximizing available space to efficiently meet growing housing demands. By making Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) easier to build, and removing parking minimums, it simplifies the process to create additional housing options within their properties in a modern and pragmatic way.
The removal of average minimum unit requirements paves the way for more studios without the need to increase the size of larger units, promoting flexibility and affordability in housing construction. ‘City of Yes’ also encourages a larger Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for affordable senior housing and all affordable housing, a move that is both practical and equitable.
The plan encourages repurposing underutilized parking lots for housing and office conversions, breathing new life into neighborhoods. By allowing housing construction in low- and medium-density districts, we can ensure housing growth equitably distributed across the city.
The City of Yes Housing Opportunity Plan offers New Yorkers a sensible solution to housing challenges. Once again, these policy changes are a step in the right direction toward increasing housing supply, affordability, and accessibility. We applaud the Mayor's leadership in championing these much-needed reforms, and look forward to the positive impact they will have on our city's housing landscape.
Let’s build.”
