Cuomo Unveils Housing Plan for New York City
Creative and innovative solutions to this crisis will keep more New Yorkers in New York…putting the needs of New Yorkers first.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, a candidate for New York City mayor, today unveiled his plan to address housing affordability, a critical part of his broader Affordability Agenda. The soaring costs of housing is one of the main reasons that New York faces an affordability crisis. Governor Cuomo's plan takes an ambitious approach to improving housing affordability by increasing the supply of housing, expanding tenant protections, and providing practical solutions to alleviate the economic strain on families across the five boroughs.
“New Yorkers across every borough have been crushed by the rising costs of housing and increasingly limited supply is squeezing the middle class out of the city,” Governor Cuomo said. “We need innovative solutions to this crisis that will save our city and will keep more New Yorkers in New York.”
Governor Cuomo’s housing plan is part of a broad Affordability Agenda designed to address the rising costs facing New Yorkers. This plan tackles the critical economic challenges New Yorkers face daily.
Key Components of Governor Cuomo’s Housing Plan
- Increase Housing Supply: Governor Cuomo's comprehensive plan will focus on increasing the construction of affordable and workforce housing, using every tool at his disposal and working with real estate, laborers, and legislative partners. From streamlining permitting and regulatory processes to reviewing building codes and targeting zoning reforms, the plan will reduce the constant upward pressure on housing costs that drive up costs and will allow New Yorkers to live in housing they can afford.
- Addressing the “Missing Middle”: Middle-income families are often overlooked by traditional housing policy, creating a housing gap. While Governor Cuomo’s main focus will be on expanding the supply of affordable housing, he will also work with developers and state partners to encourage the development of workforce housing for those with household incomes up to 120-130 percent of the area median income. These efforts are vital to keeping New York from losing key parts of its workforce to more affordable cities.
- Supporting Rental Subsidies: Governor Cuomo recognizes that the CityFHEPS voucher program is often critical to keeping families from falling into homelessness. As mayor, he will work to ensure that this program is both sustainable and effective, enforcing regulations to prevent landlords from discriminating against tenants with vouchers, and ensuring that payments are made promptly.
- Tenant Protections and Enforcement: During his time as Governor, he made tenant protections a top priority, including the creation of the State’s Tenant Protection Unit. As Mayor, Governor Cuomo will bring that same commitment to ensuring that landlords are held accountable for unlawful practices, including refusal to accept vouchers and other discriminatory actions against tenants.
- Revitalizing NYCHA: Governor Cuomo is committed to enhancing the quality of life for NYCHA residents. He is committed to investing in capital improvements to ensure all NYCHA residences are safe, livable, and supportive environments for families with resident input central to every decision. By working closely with residents, he will pursue innovative solutions to upgrade NYCHA housing conditions while increasing the supply of affordable and workforce housing.
Governor Cuomo’s expertise in housing is traced throughout his lifetime in public service, from the time he was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton, to the tremendous work he accomplished as Governor where he championed affordable housing initiatives, rent stabilization and tenant protections, and supported development projects across the city.
Governor Cuomo has been a champion for working New Yorkers. He raised wages for millions of workers, passed the strongest gun violence prevention and paid family leave laws in the nation, advanced the most substantial infrastructure program in a generation, including the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Hall, the new Kosciuszko Bridge and the new JFK and LaGuardia airports and codified Roe vs. Wade in state law years before the Supreme Court overturned it, all while cutting taxes and reining in spending.
For more details on Governor Cuomo’s Housing Plan, click here.
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