T
he City Council is set to take up Mayor Eric Adams' housing plan, known as "City of Yes," with Speaker Adrienne Adams previewing their approach on Tuesday. While acknowledging that zoning reform is crucial in addressing New York City's housing shortage, she emphasized that it alone cannot meet the city's wide-ranging housing needs. The Council plans to introduce its own "housing action plan" and pursue a range of solutions to increase affordable housing options.

    The speaker listed several key areas for improvement, including ensuring affordability, increasing tenant protections, removing barriers to housing vouchers, investing in neighborhoods, strengthening agencies' capacities, and promoting affordable homeownership opportunities. This approach is seen as a "yes, and" to the City of Yes plan, rather than a rebuke.

    Given the turmoil within the administration and Mayor Adams' recent criminal charges, Speaker Adams' comments take on added significance. The Council aims to put its stamp on housing policy and potentially fill a leadership vacuum left by the mayor. As a result, changes to City of Yes are likely, including affordability mandates for certain aspects of the text amendment and subsidy commitments from City Hall.

    The Council may require stricter affordability in the Universal Affordability Preference program, which allows developers to receive a 20% bonus on projects that reserve units for those earning an average of 60% of the area median income. They could also demand more requirements for the AMIs developers must accommodate to achieve this benchmark. Additionally, affordability requirements may be added to town center and transit-oriented development proposals.

    Two hearings on City of Yes are scheduled for October 21 and 22, with the second hearing open to public testimony.