M
ayor Eric Adams and the New York City Council have reached a deal on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. After last-minute negotiations, Gothamist reported that an agreement was finalized on Thursday morning. The talks continued as two Council committees were set to vote on the proposal later in the day.

    The agreement includes funding for infrastructure such as sewers and streets, as well as staffing at housing agencies. It also allocates money for affordable housing construction and preservation through a package brought forth by City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. This package goes beyond the mayor's zoning reforms, which would ease development restrictions around transit stations and commercial corridors.

    The Department of City Planning estimated that the City of Yes component could create over 100,000 apartments in 15 years, exceeding the typical annual construction rate of 20,000 to 29,000 units. The Council had pushed for significant changes due to opposition from outer boroughs like Queens and Staten Island. In response, the Council released its own housing blueprint, "City for All," which calls for affordability requirements in large transit-oriented developments.

    Despite criticism that City of Yes is a one-size-fits-all approach, city officials claim it's carefully crafted to fit individual neighborhoods' characters. Over half of the city's community boards voted against the text amendment, but the speaker had pledged to address the housing crisis and the Council faced a Thursday deadline to decide on City of Yes.