N.Y.C. Rezoning Plan That Could Add 109,000 New Homes Is Set to Advance
The New York Times
The City Planning Commission is expected to approve a major rezoning proposal that would ease restrictions on development. The plan faces headwinds in the City Council.
Mayor Eric Adams’s plan to ease New York City’s housing shortage by making way for more than 100,000 new homes is poised to clear the City Planning Commission on Wednesday, setting up a much tougher fight between the administration and the City Council.
The planning vote is not expected to be contentious: The head of the commission, Dan Garodnick, was appointed by Mr. Adams and is one of the proposal’s main champions. But the Council must also vote on it later this year, and some members are already resisting major proposed changes for their districts.
The fate of the plan, known as City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, may also be seen as a test of Mr. Adams’s power and political will as his administration faces corruption investigations, though the mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
“This City of Yes is so important for the future of the city,” Mr. Adams said on Tuesday at an event in the Bronx. He added: “When you have a house, it’s a luxury to talk about not building more housing. We need to build more housing for New Yorkers.”
The plan, if it is not rejected or watered down by opponents emboldened by the upheaval in City Hall, is designed to make it easier to build more and different types of housing through changes to the zoning code. These include:
All together, the city estimates the plan would allow nearly 109,000 additional homes to be added across New York City over the next 15 years.
