Mayor’s Affordable Housing Plan Under Debate Today In City Council
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial rezoning plan — meant to address the city’s affordable housing crisis — has moved to the City Council for a final review after it was approved last Wednesday by the City Planning Commission.
In our area, community boards 14 and 12 have both voted to reject the Mayor’s zoning plans.
One component of the Mayor’s plan, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, was discussed at a lengthy City Council hearing yesterday. The plan has come under fire from some housing activists and city officials who say the proposed income levels for affordable housing are currently too high, reports DNA info.
The Mayor’s two-part proposal has rankled communities throughout the city. Residents fear the changes will cause a construction boom that could rub out the character of their neighborhoods.
Alvin Berk, chairman of Community Board 14, which represents Greater Flatbush and Midwood, said that the core concern of his board is that the Mayor’s plan could mean less control over development for local communities.
The plan “reduces the ability of neighborhood residents to offer comments to a developer,” Berk said, because the it will make greater bulk and height in buildings permissable as of right.
The Mayor’s plan could also be seen as problematic, Berk added, because the “extent of provisions granted to developers seems to exceed the [administration’s] stated goal of creating affordable housing.”
We were unable to speak with Community Board 12 about their objections to the Mayor’s plan before this story was published.
The City Council is expected to vote on the proposals in March, according to DNAinfo.
The plan involved two parts, Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), and are part of Mayor de Blasio’s 10-year plan to create and preserve 200,000 affordable housing units.
The ZQA would allow developers in some medium to high density areas to build one or two stories higher than current zoning laws allow. It would also eliminate parking requirements for new buildings for low-income residents and seniors — an issue that some worry will cause even greater crowding on streets.
The City Planning Commission was supposed to consider the votes of community boards — many of whom rejected the proposals — as well as public testimony to make changes to both plans. However, the commission only offered minor tweaks.
The amended ZQA now requires nursing homes to have a special permit in areas with single family homes. It also lowers the height increases in certain Manhattan neighborhoods with narrow streets. The only change to the MIH is that developers are excused from affordable housing requirements if they can prove it creates a hardship,” DNAinfo reports.
The commission is composed of six mayoral appointees, one from the public advocate, and five appointed by each of the borough presidents. The appointees from Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx voted no, according to DNAinfo.
Brooklyn’s delegate Joseph Douek voted yes but was reportedly disappointed the board did not include changes from the borough board and hoped those recommendations will be added by the City Council.
The City Council is holding a meeting today on the Zoning for Quality and Affordability component of the Mayor’s plan.
Sarah Crean provided additional reporting.