What Does City of Yes Mean?

 

Photo Credit: THANANIT - stock.adobe.com

This blog discusses content also covered in our new podcast, available here. 

We all know the cliché: “If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere.” But for far too many New Yorkers, prosperity and success remain out of reach, exemplified most poignantly by the city’s dearth of affordable housing. To combat this growing crisis, Mayor Eric Adams proposed the “City of Yes” initiative. This blog post will examine its aims, potential benefits and whether it will be sufficient to solve New York’s housing crisis. 

What Is The City of Yes? 

According to the municipal government website, the City of Yes is a three-part plan to revise zoning laws, which haven’t been updated since 1961, to promote environmental sustainability, economic opportunity and, of course, increase the number of affordable housing units available. [1] These complex plans are intended to address a wide range of interconnected issues that will support a cleaner, more prosperous city in the next fifteen years. However, this blog post will focus specifically on the housing-related proposals, which are as follows [2]: 

• Require buildings in medium and high-density districts to designate at least 20% of their units as affordable housing
• Allow for Accessory Dwelling Units in one and two-family homes in all low-density districts
• Convert underused offices and other non-residential space into housing 
• Legalize 2, 3 or 4 stories of housing above a commercial ground floor
• Re-authorize modestly-sized apartment buildings in low-density residential districts designed to rely on public transportation
• Roll back parking mandates
• Turn underused spaces on campuses into housing 
• Legalize small and shared housing, such as those with a common kitchen

What Are The Proposed Benefits of the City of Yes? 

The ultimate success of the City of Yes will depend on how much of the three-part plan is implemented. Nonetheless, the Regional Planning Association (RPA) projects the following major benefits by 2039 [3]: 

• Between 15,000 and 30,000 new well-paying jobs per year (442,000 jobs overall)
• Between $15 and $32 billion in earnings
• Between $41 and $83 billion in GDP growth 
• Between 58,000 and 109,000 new housing units

How Much of the City of Yes Has Been Passed? 

By December 5, 2024, all parts of The City of Yes plan had been approved by the New York City Council, which also passed the necessary legislation. As is typical with governments of any size, it will be some time before the improvements will be noticeable. 

Is There More To Be Done With The City of Yes?

Currently, there is one more set of zoning proposals and non-zoning initiatives being shaped and considered by city hall. Called “City of Yes for Families,” this initiative seeks to achieve the following goals, among others: 

• Encourage more housing options close to schools, libraries, fresh food, accessible transit and open space
• Create larger income-restricted affordable housing
• Expand down payment assistance

This set of proposals is still being developed, so contact your representatives and other policymakers to ensure that your voices are heard throughout this process and that the approved plans are implemented to the fullest extent. 

Contact Mentor A Promise Today 

Our organization recognizes the immense potential within each individual and seeks to provide them with the educational resources and opportunities they need to thrive. To that end, we have built a strong network of family shelters, educational institutions and community organizations to support homeless children, youths and their families. Click these links to learn more about what we offer or to get involved. Together, we can break the cycle of homelessness.