The New York City Council has adopted a modified version of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, a critical step toward addressing the city’s housing crisis while incorporating sustainability and infrastructure improvements. The revised plan includes significant zoning reforms, new affordability measures, and a $5 billion investment in housing and infrastructure—a victory for advocates of balanced and equitable development.
New York City is facing its worst housing shortage in decades. The City of Yes aims to address this crisis by updating outdated zoning laws to allow more housing across neighborhoods, projecting the creation of 80,000 new homes over 15 years.
Developers of larger projects will now be required to make 20% of units affordable to take full advantage of the plan’s zoning incentives. This commitment to affordability, especially in lower-density and transit-oriented areas, ensures the housing benefits are accessible to a broad range of New Yorkers.
The Council pushed for a $5 billion funding commitment to ensure that zoning reforms are accompanied by the necessary infrastructure and tenant protections. This includes:
- $2 billion for critical infrastructure upgrades such as flood mitigation, stormwater management, and street improvements.
- $2 billion for affordable housing preservation and development, including NYCHA and Mitchell-Lama housing.
- $1 billion in state funding (pending budget approval) for additional housing investments.
These investments not only address immediate housing needs but also contribute to building resilient, climate-adaptive neighborhoods.
The plan introduces reforms to promote sustainability, such as eliminating parking mandates in transit-rich areas, incentivizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and encouraging infill development on underused land. While some restrictions were added to address community concerns, these provisions reflect the city’s growing commitment to sustainable land use and reducing car dependency.
“Although this measure will not fully eliminate parking mandates, and while we have more work to do on transit oriented development, we firmly believe those are two paths to a healthier, more sustainable city, and we will continue to urge the mayor and City Council to get there,” said NYLCV’s Deputy Director for NYC Policy Alia Soomro.
The City of Yes represents an incremental but significant step toward a more equitable and sustainable New York City. By coupling zoning reforms with investments in affordability, infrastructure, and climate resilience, the plan lays the groundwork for a future where every neighborhood contributes to solving the housing crisis while adapting to environmental challenges.
NYLCV applauds the Adams Administration, Speaker Adams, the Department of City Planning, and Governor Hochul for this historic funding commitment along with all the Council Members that voted in favor of this proposal.
We also want to thank our members who showed support for City of Yes for Housing Opportunity throughout this process by sending emails to members of the city council to help ensure this bill got over the finish line.