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De Blasio's team needs to learn basic business sense; if they really want to get all of that affordable housing built they will have to work with developers rather than being overtly hostile and confrontational, which is exactly what this looks like. Business needs to be able to rely on the reasonable and consistent behavior of city officials, and this seems like anything but consistency.
The city should also come up with ideas early in the game, and be the ones to propose it to developers, instead of waiting until a project is underway.
If "affordable" housing is what they want, they need to identify suitable locations for family-friendly apartment buildings and pitch the ideas to developers.
The thing is it takes years to think of good ideas and there is nothing coming from the new mayor's office, nor does he seem inclined to do so.
The city should also come up with ideas early in the game, and be the ones to propose it to developers, instead of waiting until a project is underway.
If "affordable" housing is what they want, they need to identify suitable locations for family-friendly apartment buildings and pitch the ideas to developers.
The thing is it takes years to think of good ideas and there is nothing coming from the new mayor's office, nor does he seem inclined to do so.
He came up with this 200,000 number out of thin air. I guess he can always claim he "preserved" 200,000 units. But new units takes years and years to develop. When he made this proposal did he forget that in order to build you need land? And that because there are no large subsidies available for stand alone affordable housing, that he would have to be friendly to developers (tough for a "progressive") because they are the only ones that can provide it with these 80/20 projects.
Another option is to identify new areas to to build, negotiate with the current owners, and pitch the idea to developers while at the same time navigating NYC's arcane restrictions on putting up new construction in old locations. Bloomberg opened up new areas for residential development albeit this was for high end. That way de Blasio does not have to resort to 80-20 and can offer affordable family-size units at market prices.
I think the only way that would be feasible is if you built with non-union labor. High union wage rates work in Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn, but if you're trying to build a typical six-story brick building in eastern Queens with affordable family units, I doubt the numbers work, unless you get huge subsidies and tax abatements.
It's too bad, because when you drive through Queens, there are tons and tons of crappy one-story commercial buildings that could be replaced with apartments.
Yes, I was actually thinking of downtown Brooklyn/Metro Tech. Then build family size apartments of 3BR/2BA in skyscrapers. Another area would be Grand Concourse-Yankee Stadium which is another transit hub to the city. Build tall to create new supply, while at the same time making it easier for career people to get to and from work. And with that new supply one can probably create apartments in FiDi and sell to upper middle class.
The city should also come up with ideas early in the game, and be the ones to propose it to developers, instead of waiting until a project is underway.
If "affordable" housing is what they want, they need to identify suitable locations for family-friendly apartment buildings and pitch the ideas to developers.
The thing is it takes years to think of good ideas and there is nothing coming from the new mayor's office, nor does he seem inclined to do so.
Exactly. I think his 200,000 affordable apartments plan could be great--hell, if they could do with 80/20, and we built a million new units in the next 20 years, that would be amazing and would probably end the city's affordability crisis. But the only way that's going to happen is if the city is proactive: in identifying opportunities for redevelopment, in enacting sweeping upzonings in numerous areas, and in seeking out developers for major projects. Hunters Point South is a great example of what the city can do, but the city needs to be even more ambitious than that to meet De Blasio's goals.
Exactly. I think his 200,000 affordable apartments plan could be great--hell, if they could do with 80/20, and we built a million new units in the next 20 years, that would be amazing and would probably end the city's affordability crisis. But the only way that's going to happen is if the city is proactive: in identifying opportunities for redevelopment, in enacting sweeping upzonings in numerous areas, and in seeking out developers for major projects. Hunters Point South is a great example of what the city can do, but the city needs to be even more ambitious than that to meet De Blasio's goals.
Yeah, one thing that de Blasio really gets--which some "progressive"/NIMBY types are going to hate--is that we need to build a HUGE amount of new housing, both market rate and subsidized.
Bloomberg wasn't actually all that pro-development. In fact, there was less new construction in the 00s than in the 80s and 90s. Bloomberg, I think, saw development more as a way to spur gentrification and turn NYC into a luxury city. He never really wanted to build enough housing to bring costs down.
Yeah, one thing that de Blasio really gets--which some "progressive"/NIMBY types are going to hate--is that we need to build a HUGE amount of new housing, both market rate and subsidized.
I have not heard him publicly mention any plans to this regard. It's one thing to talk about need, it's another to do something about it.
On the other hand, his recent actions indicate that he is inclined to squeenze more out of 80-20, gentrification delay and rent stabilization.
As what had been noted earlier, it takes years to come up with new ideas so if he doesn't propose anything over the next 2 years then nothing gets done over the next 10.
Create more affordable housing on unused land so that those that do not qualify for affordable housing will have to buy up brownstones in the hood instead.
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