New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released an expansive 27-point housing plan to address the growing affordable housing and homelessness crisis \u2014 laying out a bold agenda to build a new generation of social housing, affordable to the New Yorkers most in-need. Comptroller Stringer\u2019s affordable housing vision would build more affordable housing in every neighborhood, require Universal Affordable Housing so large new buildings set aside 25 percent of all units to affordable housing, leverage City-owned vacant lots \u2014 including hundreds of newly discovered unused lots held by various City agencies \u2014 to build tens of thousands of 100% permanently affordable units for the lowest-income New Yorkers, fight homelessness with housing, end wasteful tax breaks for real estate developers, safeguard the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and promote homeownership across the city.<\/p>\n
Stringer\u2019s housing plan \u201cHousing is a Right, Not a Privilege<\/a>\u201d is the third release of his mayoral agenda entitled \u201cThe Details to Deliver\u201d \u2014 specific, actionable plans to set New York City on a fundamentally new trajectory and build a city for every New Yorker. Stringer\u2019s mayoral agenda builds on his decades of public services and unmatched record of fighting for tenants\u2019 rights \u2014 from his start as a housing organizer of Mitchell-Lama tenants, to being one of a handful of legislators in Albany to stand up to powerful real estate interests and vote against major rent regulation rollbacks including vacancy decontrol, to his analysis and vocal opposition to the current Administration\u2019s failed housing approach which has fueled displacement across the city.<\/p>\n New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer\u00a0<\/strong>said: \u201cNew York City\u2019s housing and homelessness crisis has been decades in the making. What\u2019s been missing is the leadership, experience and vision to tackle the crisis, head-on. That ends the day I\u2019m sworn in at City Hall. As mayor, I will launch a sweeping program for Universal Affordable Housing that will fundamentally change the paradigm of this City\u2019s housing plan to build affordability into every zip-code. My housing plan will harness the thousands of city-owned vacant lots \u2014 opportunities hidden in plain sight \u2014 and build tens of thousands of new 100% permanent affordable housing units for the lowest-income New Yorkers in partnership with a new City Land Bank. My detailed and comprehensive proposal will create affordable housing in every corner of the city, fight homelessness, protect NYCHA tenants, and make the dream of homeownership a reality for more of our working families. Let\u2019s be bold and creative while standing on the side of tenants and homeowners \u2014 not the real estate lobby \u2014 and do what generations of New Yorkers have done before: build the housing we need.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n State Senator Gustavo Rivera said:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cFor too long, developers and speculators have run this City\u2019s housing program and hurt communities of color on the frontlines of our housing crisis. Scott\u2019s approach to universal affordability will lift up every neighborhood, and return power to communities to build the housing we need, end homelessness, and expand opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Jennifer Jones-Austin, CEO and Executive Director of Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), said:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cScott Stringer\u2019s vision for housing rightly treats homelessness and housing not as siloed issues, but as one and the same. The plan he has put forward to ensure affordable housing for all New Yorkers has the real potential to be a breakthrough and uplift low-income families and those New Yorkers living on the brink of homelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Banks, community and housing advocate in East New York, said:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cScott Stringer has always been a fighter for truly affordable housing. From standing against sweeping rezonings in communities of color, to working with NYCHA residents to resolve complaints and keep public housing public, to advocating for aspiring homeowners, Scott has always been there to deliver for East New York and communities across the five boroughs. He\u2019ll bring that vision and experience into City Hall to fight for communities of color on the frontlines of our gentrification and displacement crisis and keep our neighborhoods affordable for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n Aaron Carr, housing activist, said:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cFor decades, New York City has tried to separate housing from homelessness\u2014but they are one and the same. Scott\u2019s plan recognizes that in order to solve our homelessness crisis, we must solve our housing crisis. This plan will serve as a template for cities across the country, and is a tremendous step forward in ensuring that every New Yorker is housed.\u201d<\/p>\n Stringer\u2019s 27-point housing plan is organized around seven core parts:<\/p>\n Our economy cannot be fully restored until New Yorkers feel secure in their homes. Scott has a near-term plan to help renters stay in their homes \u2014 by extending the eviction moratorium until the economy is moving again, by offering rental vouchers to those most in need and increasing the value of current vouchers to meet market conditions, and by offering free legal counsel to keep people in their homes. At the same time, we need to help small landlords stay solvent, while also converting vacant commercial properties into new shelters, as well as affordable and supportive housing.<\/p>\n Invest in a new generation of social housing that is protected from the market\u2019s long-term upward rise.\u00a0<\/strong>Scott will end wasteful tax breaks to big developers, leverage the city\u2019s trove of some 3,000 vacant lots, and Create a NYC Land Bank and partner with community land trusts to build housing New Yorkers need.<\/p>\n Double down on preserving existing affordable housing to fight rampant\u00a0 displacement and stabilize housing. Scott will use the City\u2019s tools to more aggressively take control of distressed buildings from absentee landlords and slumlords, prioritize not-for-profit preservation, end the City\u2019s lien sale and finally coordinate agency responses to lead paint to create additional safe, healthy, and stable units through preservation.<\/p>\n Reform NYCHA and secure the funding it needs to protect one of New York City\u2019s most important sources of deeply-affordable units and keep public housing public. Scott will democratize NYCHA for its residents, redirect hundreds of millions to emergency repairs, and overhaul tracking and maintenance to improve operations and fight waste. Our City cannot afford to wait for Washington to realize the importance of public housing.<\/p>\n Make every neighborhood more affordable for every New Yorker by requiring all big developments to set aside 25% of all units as affordable under his Universal Affordable Housing proposal, and creating an independent Long-Term Planning Office to work with communities and drive affordability in every corner of the city. Scott will end the de Blasio Administration\u2019s developer-driven rezonings of low income communities, investing in permanent solutions to inequity \u2014not band-aids\u2014and give tenants the tools they need to assert their rights.<\/p>\n For too long we have approached homelessness and housing as separate problems. Scott has a plan to end this siloed approach and finally tackle homelessness \u2014 by expanding our supportive housing network by an additional 30,000 beds over the next 10 years; opening up more low-barrier, Safe Haven beds and offering housing vouchers for those living on the streets; and investing in programs to prevent domestic violence, which is now the leading cause of homelessness in the city.<\/p>\n Scott\u2019s plan will help first-time homeowners with down payments, give tenants a legal right to buy their buildings when they go up for sale, reform taxes and fees, and allow homeowners to build small rental units\u2014known as accessory dwelling units\u2014to earn the extra income that comes from a rental.<\/p>\nSUBSCRIBE TO NYC POLITICS<\/a><\/h2>\n
Part I: Turning the corner on COVID<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Part II: Invest in a new generation of social housing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Part III: Double down on preserving existing affordable housing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Part IV: Reform NYCHA and secure the funding it needs<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Part V: Make every neighborhood more affordable for every New Yorker<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Part VI: Fight homelessness with housing and support.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Part VII: Make homeownership\u2014a well-worn path to generational wealth\u2014available to more working New Yorkers<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n