Metropolitics

The Cost of Affordability: Inclusionary Zoning and Displacement in East New York

James Shelton — 2018-03-20T06:00:00Z

What are the impacts of New York City's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program upon low-income communities of color? James Shelton offers new insights in a consideration of the recent East New York rezoning.
Population growth and a steady increase in housing costs since the mid‑1990s has led to a crisis of housing affordability and access in New York City. To address this, Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration has embarked on an ambitious campaign to generate 300,000 units of affordable

- From the Field / housing, housing policy, inequalities, New York, affordable housing, displacement, housing crisis, de Blasio administration, zoning, inclusionary zoning, East New York

The Hollowing-Out of New York City's Industrial Zones

Tarry Hum — 2016-02-16T06:00:00Z

At a November 2015 press conference, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to take action to ensure that firms in the city's core manufacturing areas are shielded from speculative pressures as incompatible land uses like hotels, self-storage facilities, and office buildings continue to encroach on key industrial zones. The preservation of affordable space—for industry, artists, and low-income residents—is one of the administration's main priorities. But an analysis of commercial real-estate

- From the Field / gentrification, New York, displacement, de Blasio administration, Brooklyn, maker economy, industrial policy, commercial gentrification

Managing New York City's Rental Housing Catastrophe: The Once and Future Potential of Tax-Foreclosed Properties

John Krinsky — 2015-10-20T05:00:00Z

New York City faces a rental housing crisis, with homelessness at record levels, more than a million households spending over 30% of their incomes on rent, and the number of apartments renting for $1,000 or less plunging fast. The city has an opportunity to manage this catastrophe, argues John Krinsky, by reviving a policy it pioneered in the “dark days” after the 1974 fiscal crisis: that of taking control of tax-delinquent property neglected by private owners and transferring it to nonprofit

- Essays / housing policy, New York, housing crisis, New York City housing policy, de Blasio administration, tax-lien sales

New York's de Blasio bargains with FIRE

Tom Waters — 2015-06-16T05:00:00Z

Frantic deal-making over an obscure but costly New York City real-estate tax incentive (421‑a) provides a window into the politics of Mayor Bill de Blasio's attempt to implement a progressive urban policy agenda. The mayor hopes to deliver on campaign promises to combat economic inequality while sustaining growth. But his valuable political relationships with real-estate developers pose a challenge to his bid to bring development and redistribution into the same policy universe. Tom Waters shows

- Debates / housing policy, United States, real estate, New York, affordable housing, 421-a, real-estate industry, New York City housing policy, FIRE, growth coalition, de Blasio administration, Bloomberg