City of Yes zoning plan to boost housing growth narrowly passes City Council | amNewYork

A compromise version of Mayor Eric Adams’ zoning overhaul aimed at easing the city’s dire housing crisis squeaked through the City Council on Thursday, clearing its final hurdle to become law.

The mayor’s “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, a suite of proposals that promises to allow for “a little more housing in every neighborhood,” passed the 51-member chamber by a slim 31-20 votes on Dec. 5. The city estimates the plan will spur the construction of 82,000 new housing units over the next 15 years, down from the 109,000 homes it was projected to produce before the council’s modifications were made.

All that remains is for Adams to sign what will likely be his greatest signature accomplishment as mayor thus far into law.

Adams, during a City Hall rally on the heels of the vote, compared his administration to the 1986 Mets team that won the World Series.

“We’re gonna argue in the locker room, we’re gonna get in debates, we’re going to do all sorts of things, but you know what? We’re gonna bring home the championship ring,” Adams said. “That’s what we did…You’re seeing the most comprehensive housing reform in the history of the city.”

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, following several council members’ impassioned speeches for and against the plan, said the body “cannot do nothing” about the city’s dire housing crisis. She also emphasized that the modified version of the zoning text amendment hashed out by the council is far better than what the mayor initially proposed.

“This council cannot be the body that says ‘no’ to people that need a place to live,” Speaker Adams said in an emotional speech. “This cannot be the council that turns their back on homeless; this cannot be the council that continues to say ‘scrap it, let’s move ahead and do something else,’ because I tell you that will never happen.”

The plan consists of a series of updates to city zoning rules that have not been changed in over half a century. It’s designed to expand the amount of housing that can be built in parts of the Big Apple that typically do not see much development.

The zoning changes only narrowly passed the city legislature even after they were altered last month to assuage many council members’ concerns about them potentially altering the character of the neighborhoods they represent. The final deal between City Hall and the council also includes a $5 billion commitment from Adams’ office and Gov. Kathy Hochul to fund affordable housing construction, housing affordability programs, infrastructure improvements, and more staff for city housing agencies.

Several council members acknowledged that the modifications addressed their concerns and got them to a “yes.”

Why they voted ‘no’

The lawmakers who voted against the City of Yes included every member of the chamber’s conservative Common Sense Caucus, some Democratic members representing low-rise outer-borough neighborhoods, and one progressive who saw the plan as a giveaway to developers.

City Council Member Joann Ariola (R-Queens) said her “no” vote was driven by her constituents’ concerns that City of Yes would change the character of their neighborhoods. She also expressed concerns that the infrastructure in her district, which covers coastal areas in the Rockaways, will not be able to support the added housing that would come with the plan.

“The city of yes will only add to the heavy burden that residents face every day,” Ariola said. “We don’t have the infrastructure and I know the mayor has promised money for infrastructure. But why are we putting the cart before the horse? Why are we putting the housing up and then worrying about the infrastructure?”

David Carr, a Republican council member representing Staten Island, who also voted “no,” said he believes the plan is “incredibly vulnerable to legal action” and “will not survive” such action, which could be forthcoming.

Progressive Council Member Christopher Marte (D-Manhattan) said he voted against the plan because it is a “yes to only the real estate developers.”

‘The real controversy’

On the other hand, Council Member Crystal Hudson (D-Brooklyn) said the proposal rightfully forces areas that have never built much housing to begin doing their part. She pointed out that areas like the South Bronx have borne the brunt of new development for far too many years.

“The reality is that some communities are doing their part to address the housing crisis and others are not, and that’s the real controversy,” Hudson said. “This first-of-its-kind citywide text amendment does the bare minimum to create opportunities to build housing.”

The original plan included proposals such as eliminating a mandate that new projects include a certain number of off-street parking spots, allowing new units to be built next to or within existing homes—known as accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—and clearing the way for 3-to-5-story construction near train stations and on top of storefronts.

Other provisions in the scheme would permit developers to build at least 20% more housing in their projects as long as it is affordable and allow construction on large open areas owned by organizations like houses of worship.

However, several of those measures were altered in response to council members’ concerns.

Therefore, the amended version of the plan will not completely eliminate parking mandates. Instead, it will split the city into three zones where the requirement will be lifted, reduced, or kept in place. Furthermore, ADUs on ground floors and in basements will not be permitted in flood zones, and those in backyards will be barred from some areas, including historic districts.

The provisions allowing for three-to-five-story construction near train stations and above storefronts—known as transit-oriented development and town-center zoning, respectively—were also modified. One of the changes will require developers who build 50 units or more in either type of project to make at least 20% of the units affordable at 80% of the area median income.

The $5 billion secured by the council includes $2 billion specifically for affordable housing construction and renovation. Another $2 billion will go toward improving the infrastructure of the areas that could see more housing production under the plan, including sewer upgrades, stormwater drainage improvements, and flood mitigation.

Other funding in the deal goes toward homeownership programs, tenant protections, city-funded housing vouchers, and increased housing agency staffing levels.