In New York’s Fight to Legalize Basement Apartments, What About Cellars? 

While Gov. Kathy Hochul included a pathway to basement legalization in her February budget proposal, the word ‘cellar’ is absent from her plan. The two terms may be indistinguishable to most property owners, but they’re different under zoning and dwelling laws, and excluding cellars from the state’s plan would omit a significant swath of below-grade housing stock from potential conversion, advocates say.

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.

Red Hook Houses

Wait Times for NYCHA Apartments Doubled Last Year, As Number of Vacant Units Climb

The length of time it takes NYCHA to rent out available apartments has climbed in recent years, one of many factors exacerbating the city’s affordable housing crisis, lawmakers say. “They just say it’s not ready,” said one resident currently living in a homeless shelter who has been waiting more than 10 months to move into the NYCHA unit she was approved for.