Social Housing in the Spotlight: NYC Lawmakers Seek ‘Paradigm Shift’ in Tackling Affordability Crisis

Councilmembers are weighing a slate of bills to expand programs and resources that follow the model of social housing—deeply affordable homes built “for public good” rather than profit, what supporters say could help turn the tide in a city where increasing numbers of tenants are struggling to afford rent. But City Hall officials pushed back on some of the proposals, saying they could undermine Mayor Adams’ efforts to build new housing as quickly as possible.

NYC Housing Calendar, March 9-15

City Limits rounds up the latest housing and land use-related events, public hearings and upcoming affordable housing lotteries that are ending soon. Adi TalwarNew Dorp Plaza, Staten Island

Welcome to City Limits’ NYC Housing Calendar, a weekly feature where we round up the latest housing and land use-related events and hearings, as well as upcoming affordable housing lotteries that are ending soon. If you know of an event we should include in next week’s calendar, email jeanmarie@citylimits.flywheelstaging.com. To get more resources like this as well as our latest reporting on local housing issues, sign up for City Limits’ Mapping the Future newsletter here.Upcoming Housing and Land Use-Related Events:

Thursday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m.: The NYC Council’s land use committee will hold a hearing on the city budget. More here.

Opinion: Addressing the Plight of New Yorkers Aging Behind Bars

“We witness firsthand the challenges that our older participants face when they come to us, usually because they no longer have family to turn to after such long periods of incarceration: physical health issues that might be less severe if treated properly sooner; unaddressed trauma, greatly exacerbated by incarceration; lack of financial resources; and homelessness.”

Data Drop: NYPD Issued Majority of Street Vending Tickets in 2022

The NYPD and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) together doled out 5,197 tickets to vendors last year, with the police department issuing significantly more tickets, despite a de Blasio-era pledge to shift them away from enforcement. After an eight-month delay, the DOHMH will also begin issuing applications for new supervisory licenses for vendors by the end of the month.