Press Release CBC News

Pro-homes Advocacy Groups Across New York State Form ‘New York Neighbors’ Coalition

January 31, 2023

NEW YORK, NY – In advance of Governor Hochul’s unveiling of the Executive Budget on Wednesday, new group of advocacy organizations have joined together to form New York Neighbors, a coalition to promote statewide pro-homes legislation in 2023 and beyond. New York Neighbors is the first statewide pro-homes coalition of its kind, prioritizing a menu of policies to increase housing supply and produce affordable homes to tackle the state’s debilitating housing shortage. The coalition currently includes over 35 members representing a wide range of geographies of New York State.

On January 10, Governor Hochul presented bold proposals under the New York Housing Compact. Starting in 2024, the proposal calls for an increase of New York’s downstate housing supply by 3% over three years and its upstate supply by 1%. It also incentivizes building near transit, in places that allow for more cycling and walking, and healthier, lower carbon lifestyles. The proposal provides municipalities with options to choose the implementation tools that work best for them. ​“This is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Governor Hochul said in the State of the State address. ​“Local governments can meet these targets however they want and shape the ways they expand building capacity, such as redeveloping old malls and office parks, incentivizing new housing production, or updating zoning rules to reduce barriers.”

Last month, Regional Plan Association released a housing needs analysis which showed that New York needs to build 817,000 units to meet current and expected growth. This number was echoed by Governor Hochul in her address in which she called for the creation of 800,000 units over the next decade. RPA’s report also detailed policy recommendations to meet that goal, many of which Governor Hochul laid out in her State of the State book.

New York Neighbors plans to advocate for a menu of such policies for local municipalities to select from, with the goal of ensuring that action is taken in every municipality across the state. When every municipality does its part, we will all thrive together.

“Policy failures got us into our unprecedented housing affordability crisis, and bold action from all levels of government can get us out of it,” said Annemarie Gray, Executive Director at Open New York. ​“Legislation that ends exclusionary zoning practices, encourages dense housing in transit-rich areas, and ensures all neighborhoods do their part to increase housing opportunities is essential for addressing the depth of the crisis and increasing leverage for renters.”

“The Governor’s bold Housing Compact is exactly what our state needs to enable affordable housing in every community,” said Jolie Milstein, President and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH). ​“We are proud to join with our sister organizations to advocate for a true statewide policy that will directly address our dire housing crisis.”

“There is no doubt that New York faces a housing crisis which will only get worse unless every community does its part to create more homes,” said Tom Wright, President & CEO of Regional Plan Association. ​“That is why RPA applauds Governor Hochul’s commitment to taking on this issue head-on, and we are proud to partner with New York Neighbors to support her efforts.”

“New York’s housing status quo is a true statewide emergency that requires meaningful action across the state to overcome the malignant force of exclusion that created the crisis – and now, for the first time in generations, a wide range of advocates and policymakers are serious about doing just that,” said Rachel Fee, Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference. ​“The New York Housing Conference is proud to be a part of New York’s first statewide pro-housing coalition at this critical moment for housing.”

“Decades of restrictive zoning laws and opposition to building more housing options have prevented housing developers and communities from expanding the supply of affordable housing, leaving too many New Yorkers unable to access safe, stable, and affordable homes in the communities of their choice,” said Baaba Halm, vice president and New York market leader at Enterprise Community Partners. ​“We commend Governor Hochul for her ambitious set of land use proposals, which will help ease restrictive zoning laws, end detrimental practices, and increase the supply of affordable homes throughout our state, giving households greater freedom in where they choose to live.”

“New York’s housing shortage is decades-long in the making and continues to be a serious impediment to economic growth and community vitality, said Michael Romita, President & CEO of the Westchester County Association. It is choking off upward mobility for our residents and is hurting our businesses. In her State of the State address, Governor Hochul recognized that New York’s local land use policies are the most restrictive in the nation. We at the Westchester County Association join the call for bold, statewide solutions that address local zoning and land use restrictions which remain the root-causes of the crisis.”

“We applaud Governor Hochul’s wide-ranging plan to address the housing gap in New York, which we found accounted for a 233,000 shortfall of homes in 2019, up from 162,000 in 2012,” said Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth, a cross-sector member network committed to solving the nation’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. ​“The Governor’s plan sets ambitious goals for creating additional homes while allowing local communities to decide how best to increase housing production. It would maximize existing housing supply, remove numerous regulatory barriers, and provide incentives that encourage the type of housing creation that is good for the economy and climate.”

“In order to meet our climate goals, we must make the critical link between housing access and transit access” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. ​“Governor Hochul’s New York Housing Compact strengthens the connection between increasing housing access and access points to public transit. By creating opportunities for increased density and affordability in proximity to transit, as an intentional part of our housing development process, we will make neighborhoods more walkable, increase transit mobility, improve equity, and reduce our climate impacts.”

“It is clear to every Long Islander that our lack of housing – especially affordable housing – is beyond a crisis, said Ian Wilder, Executive Director of Long Island Housing Services, Inc. ​“The methods that we have used historically on Long Island to allocate the production of housing have been failing us all for a long time. It is past due for us to make a complete overhaul of our antiquated laws to meet our current housing needs. Governor Hochul’s New York Housing Compact finally moves us beyond empty rhetoric to reach solutions with a pro-home, pro-New York plan.”

“New York’s housing shortage didn’t appear overnight, didn’t happen by accident, and wasn’t created by a powerful few,” said Tim Foley, a member of the steering committee for the Welcome Home Westchester campaign. ​“Every community contributed over decades to a system that is falling far short of building the housing we need, negatively affecting employers, our local economy, seniors, millennials, working families, and communities of color. That means every community needs to be part of the solution. We are proud to join New York Neighbors because of our common belief that our housing crisis is a shared problem that requires a shared response.”

“Boosting housing production requires not only removing counterproductive legal, regulatory, and bureaucratic barriers to new housing, but also ensuring that all cities and towns plan and zone for growth,” said Andrew Rein, President of the Citizens Budget Commission. ​“New York’s brightest future will be realized when we work together to solve problems like our housing shortage. Governor Hochul’s multi-pronged strategy rightly aims to balance statewide needs and local concerns, while making it faster and easier to build the housing New Yorkers need. We are excited to join so many others supporting solutions needed now.”

“How and where we grow our housing stock not only impacts the economy, but it has a huge and lasting impact on the environment and on equity, and we applaud Governor Hochul for seeking to address these concerns in her proposed housing compact. The New York League of Conservation Voters is proud to join our partners in the NY Neighbors coalition, where together we will ensure that the state addresses inequities which have been exacerbated by insufficient housing inventory, while also making sure we are building in walkable, public-transit friendly areas so there are less cars on the road and less pollution in the air,” said NYLCV President Julie Tighe.

“New York’s post-pandemic inflation has affected every household in the state, pushing many way past their breaking point. It’s sent too many of our neighbors away to states with lower housing and living costs, and left our more vulnerable populations rent-burdened, or worse, homeless.” said Matthew Bremer AIA, President of the American Institute of Architects New York. ​“It’s also cost too many job opportunities, not only for architects and others in the construction industry, but for businesses of all types who simply can’t afford the salaries needed to pay for our state’s exorbitant cost of living.”

“Big challenges call for big, ambitious solutions. Governor Hochul has provided a roadmap forward, and has made a historic commitment to tackle our state’s decades-long crisis of housing supply and affordability,” said Rafael E. Cestero, CEO of The Community Preservation Corporation. ​“I look forward to joining my colleagues in the New York Neighbors coalition to advance the policies and programs that are necessary to make housing more abundant, equitable, and affordable for New Yorkers across the state.”

“Employers cite the shortage of affordable housing as a major obstacle to attracting and keeping the young talent they need to fill jobs in the New York metropolitan region. The Governor’s ambitious housing agenda is critical to solving this problem and ensuring the continued growth of our economy,” said Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City

###

New York Neighbors is a statewide, pro-homes coalition supporting a menu of options to increase housing supply and create more affordable homes to tackle the state’s debilitating housing shortage and support our economy. Coalition members include:

Download Statement

Pro-homes Advocacy Groups Across New York State Form ‘New York Neighbors’ Coalition