What They Are Saying: New Yorkers Support Mayor Adams’ Blueprint to Get New Yorkers Into Safe, High-Quality, Affordable Homes
City of New York Office of the Mayor
June 14, 2022
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released ‘Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,’ his comprehensive blueprint to tackle New York City’s affordable housing crisis and get New Yorkers in the safe, high-quality, affordable homes they deserve.
See below for what they are saying:
“Partnerships at the federal, state, and local level are imperative to tackling the issues of affordable housing and homelessness,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “Mayor Adams’ initiative, together with legislation such as the Affordable Housing and Area Median Income Fairness Act, which I introduced in the Senate, would be lifelines for our most vulnerable communities and steps in the right direction in our fight against housing insecurity.”
“A complete overhaul of NYCHA is needed, and as someone who has worked directly with tenant associations on public safety and quality of life issues, I’m happy to see Mayor Adams take action to ensure public housing is safe, humane, and affordable,” said U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis.
“We know that we will need multiple approaches, big investments of resources, and sustained commitment among all levels of government if we are serious about ending the interrelated crises of unaffordable housing, evictions, and homelessness — and ending these crises must be our goal,” said New York State Senator Brian Kavanagh, chair, Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development. “That’s why I’m thrilled that Mayor Eric Adams is committing today to tackle these issues head-on, with a comprehensive, coordinated plan reflecting the urgency of the moment. I am especially pleased that the plan will take advantage of my legislation to convert distressed hotels into affordable housing. I look forward to working with the mayor and his staff, our colleagues in government, housing advocates, and those who have borne the brunt of these crises for too long until all New Yorkers have stable access to safe, high-quality, affordable housing.”
“No New Yorker deserves the indignity of being unhoused or housing insecure. New York City’s housing crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, and I commend Mayor Adams on his housing plan to begin to address this crisis,” said New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “With massive investments in supportive housing, the preservation, and creation of new truly affordable housing, an end to the bureaucratic nightmare that is in our city’s housing agencies, and a vision to bring NYCHA into the 21st century, we can begin to stem the tide in tackling the worst part of New York City’s affordability crisis: the housing market.”
“Housing is the answer to so many issues in our city. New York is simply not producing enough of it, and affordable options are either falling apart or practically impossible to obtain,” said New York State Senator Brad Hoylman. “I am encouraged by Mayor Adams’s emphasis on getting our neighbors housed safely as soon as possible, and I look forward to working with the administration to address the housing needs of my constituents.”
“During the most recent legislative session, Mayor Adams’ support was key in helping us to win passage of the NYCHA Preservation Trust and distressed hotel conversion legislation — groundbreaking measures that will translate to a better quality of life and more available housing units for New Yorkers who desperately need or currently live in affordable housing,” said New York State Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz, chair, Assembly Housing Committee. “The mayor’s comprehensive housing blueprint moves forward our shared mission of providing New Yorkers — including our most vulnerable residents — with the affordable and supportive housing they need and deserve, and it also aims to reduce the bureaucracy that makes so many services and resources inaccessible to the same people who would most benefit from them. I look forward to working with the administration to turn this housing blueprint into a viable plan that will potentially stabilize our communities and improve the daily lives of many thousands of families and individuals across our city.”
“Mayor Adams’ far-reaching plan to tackle New York City’s housing and homeless crisis breaks all barriers for its unprecedented financial commitment and innovative strategy,” said New York State Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz. “His $22 billion commitment places solving the crisis among his administration’s highest priorities. And his fresh, innovative, and comprehensive approach to battling these two perennial scourges as one intransigent enemy offers our best hope in decades to finally deliver on the promise of opportunity for those with the greatest needs.”
“Mayor Adams’ far-reaching plan to tackle New York City’s housing and homeless crisis breaks all barriers for its unprecedented financial commitment and innovative strategy. His $22 billion commitment places solving the crisis among his administration’s highest priorities. And his fresh, innovative and comprehensive approach to battling these two perennial scourges as one intransigent enemy offers our best hope in decades to finally deliver on the promise of opportunity for those with the greatest needs,” New York State Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright.
“As a longtime proponent of affordable housing and an advocate for tenants of public housing, I certainly support the goals of the mayor’s blueprint for housing and homelessness,” said New York State Assemblymember Latrice Walker. “The lack of affordable housing has hit crisis level in the city, and it will take a creative and multi-layered approach to address it. The $22 billion capital investment is the largest in the city’s history at a time when the city’s need is the greatest. The investment prioritizes an issue that has long been a problem for seniors, low-income New Yorkers, and people with disabilities. Successfully tackling the housing crisis would strengthen communities and contribute to public safety. I also applaud the elimination of unnecessary paperwork that creates delays connecting people to housing.”
“We need to do everything in our power to tackle the affordable and safe housing shortage in New York. A holistic housing plan to prevent homelessness and transform New York’s housing supply is exactly what our city needs,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “I look forward to working with the mayor and community members to ensure every New Yorker has a safe, dignified, and affordable place to lay their head at night.”
“Over 62,000 New Yorkers have identified the dearth of safe, stable and affordable housing as the single-most important problem facing our city. The median income in our city would need to double in order for a New Yorker to afford the median rent price, and among our lowest-income New Yorkers, there is a devastatingly low vacancy rate in available affordable apartments of less than 1% – realities that are at the heart of and compound neighborhood instability, public safety and opportunity,” said New York City Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, chair, Housing and Buildings Committee. “With the ‘Housing Our Neighbors’ Blueprint, the administration invigorates a critical conversation on how the city’s leadership will work toward meeting these critical needs. As the chair of Housing and Buildings in the City Council, I look forward to digging into the blueprint and working with the administration to ensure our most vulnerable New Yorkers are centered in the implementation of the city’s housing agenda.”
“Safe, high-quality, affordable housing is a human right. All New Yorkers deserve a guarantee of housing dignity, and this blueprint is a necessary step toward achieving that goal in both the short term and the long term,” said New York City Councilmember Kamillah Hanks. “Far too often, New Yorkers have been failed with temporary band-aid fixes for the affordable housing crisis in our city, and the pillars outlined in this blueprint — including the transformation of NYCHA — can help put an end to that. Moving our city forward will rely on an investment in and a commitment to housing opportunity for all.”
“The housing crisis in New York City is an epidemic,” said New York City Councilmember Farah Louis. “The lack of affordable units, and sky-high rents, threaten to leave New Yorkers without a roof over their heads every passing day. Mayor Eric Adams has an actionable plan to help end homelessness, increase affordable housing options, and create avenues to affordable homeownership. No New Yorker — no person — should live in fear that their home will disappear or become dilapidated. In Flatbush, Brooklyn, the solution can’t wait another day. I thank the mayor for this robust and progressive plan that addresses the needs of families here and across the city.”
“We are thrilled that after years of ANHD-led advocacy this administration has finally moved away from the problematic affordable housing unit count goals of past administrations. That metric led to a focus on affordable housing solutions that simply chased after numbers instead of prioritizing the needs of struggling New Yorkers,” said Barika X Williams, executive director, Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development (ANHD). “This new housing plan includes the various aspects of the housing crisis, which spans from homelessness to homeownership, and that is how our communities experience it. ANHD looks forward to working with this administration where possible and holding them accountable to meet the housing needs of all and especially our most marginalized community members.”
“Mayor Adams’ housing blueprint offers a strategic and ambitious framework for growing New York’s affordable housing stock in a way that ensures housing for those who need it most while creating good middle-class careers with benefits for working people,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “We’re proud to support this initiative that will ease the way to more affordable housing development across the five boroughs and applaud Mayor Adams and the entire administration for their commitment to uplifting underserved New Yorkers through access to more affordable and supportive housing and good jobs.”
“The Adams administration’s plan reflects a comprehensive and integrated strategy to address the housing and homelessness challenges our city and our nation face,” said Muzzy Rosenblatt, president and CEO, Bowery Residents’ Committee. “It recognizes what good nonprofits can achieve when empowered and affords greater dignity and respect to the people we serve. While we need our federal government to do more for our cities, it is good to see that New York City’s mayor is facing these issues head on and focused on getting stuff done.”
“Safe and secure housing is fundamental to the health of New Yorkers and the city we love,” said Brenda Rosen, president and CEO, Breaking Ground. “By focusing efforts on the individuals who need assistance most — people experiencing homelessness, public housing residents, and those who need an affordable place to call home — the mayor’s holistic housing plan will create a meaningful change in the city’s homelessness crisis. From eliminating administrative burdens to expediting placements to supportive housing, the city can house our most vulnerable population quickly and sustainably. We look forward to working with the Adams administration to put this plan into action.”
“The need for sustaining existing, and developing additional affordable apartments is immense. The attention that Mayor Adams is drawing to this need is critical and to be applauded. Translating this into concrete actions that advance effective and efficient solutions will require ongoing commitment by all involved. Catholic Charities stands ready as a willing partner,” Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, executive director, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.
“We are so excited to see a truly comprehensive approach to increasing affordable homeownership in the mayor’s housing blueprint,” said Christie Peale, CEO, Center for New York City Neighborhoods. “More families will be able to buy their first home with expanded down payment assistance; neighbors can fight the blight of zombie homes on their blocks; and we can help even more New Yorkers repair their homes and become the next generation of stewards of this vital affordable housing. We look forward to working with Mayor Adams’ administration to make this equitable and holistic vision a reality for thousands of New Yorkers.”
“Thank you to the mayor’s office for focusing on housing and homelessness. These are important issues for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, which has the highest rate of overcrowded housing among all racial groups,” said Wayne Ho, president and CEO, Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC). “We look forward to working with the Mayor’s Office to ensure that AAPI and immigrant communities are meaningfully included in the plan and that high-quality, fully funded services are available for New Yorkers of all backgrounds.”
“The new housing plan wisely focuses on getting right the basics of management and customer service, which too often are the overlooked impediments to success. Improving the delivery of services–from accelerating needed repairs at NYCHA to quickly filling affordable apartments to getting rental housing vouchers get utilized– is essential to meet New Yorkers’ housing needs,” said Andrew Rein, president, Citizens Budget Commission. “This plan lays a solid foundation for important progress within the city, which could be further leveraged through State partnership on property tax reform, development incentives, and regulatory relief needed to create housing to meet all New Yorker’s needs.”
“We are incredibly excited to usher in this new era for housing policy in New York City,” said Sarah Watson, interim executive director, Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC). “This plan is guided by a visionary framework for how housing policy can improve the lives of New Yorkers, and includes policies long championed by CHPC. We are so happy that public housing is being treated as an integral part of our city’s affordable housing for the first time. Decision-making roles for public housing residents, our priority, is also central to the housing plan, bringing the individuals who know their homes best to the table to plan for their futures. We look forward to continuing our work with City Hall to enact thoughtful, practical housing policies that serve all New Yorkers, especially in the development of new housing typologies like ADUs, health-oriented housing policies, easing the administrative burden in obtaining housing support, and many more initiatives.”
“Housing is the solution to homelessness, and we applaud the commitments that Mayor Adams has made in his “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness” report that will bring this city one step closer to that solution for the countless youth and young adults across this city who are experiencing homelessness,” said Jamie Powlovich, executive director, Coalition for Homeless Youth. “Like all blueprints, the success of the actual structure lies in the foundation, and we believe that through authentic collaboration with service providers, advocates and those with the lived experience of homelessness, this administration will have a solid foundation from which all people can access to housing.”
“At the Community Preservation Corporation, we believe that a truly comprehensive affordable housing plan must also focus on the sustainability of our housing, work to address homelessness, and reinvest in our city’s public housing. We are pleased to see these elements thoughtfully incorporated into Mayor Adams’ plan, which crucially includes additional HPD funding as part of an historic investment in supporting affordable housing development and preservation,” said Rafael E. Cestero, CEO, Community Preservation Corporation and former HPD Commissioner. “Coupled with the major new funding for NYCHA being made available through the establishment of the Public Housing Trust, this plan represents significant progress toward improving housing for millions of New Yorkers.”
“I am encouraged by the mayor’s housing plan that centers solutions around the people it’s intended to serve. We must not only invite people with lived experience to the table, but they should be leading the discussion on how to create better access to affordable housing in New York City,” said Patricia Hernandez, director, Corporation for Supportive Housing.
“We applaud the Adams administration for prioritizing affordable housing in New York City with the release of the Housing Our Neighbors Blueprint. We are very glad to see that the city is taking an integrated approach to housing by coordinating its plans for improving public housing, combating homelessness, and more,” said Baaba Halm, vice president and New York market leader, Enterprise Community Partners. “The need for all city agencies to work together to solve complex problems in the housing sector is more important than ever. We are heartened to see the city committing greater focus on MBE development partners, to increasing enforcement of Source of Income discrimination laws, [nyc.gov], addressing family homelessness, and reducing the administrative burden associated with housing assistance programs. We look forward to seeing the city’s complete housing blueprint and to working with City Hall, HPD, and other city agencies to help operationalize these commitments.”
“We applaud Mayor Adams for his focus on expanding affordable housing in New York City,” said Jeffrey Goldberg, CEO, Fairstead. “The unprecedented investments and policy initiatives proposed in the mayor’s housing plan will go a long way toward providing New Yorkers access to high-quality, equitable, and sustainable housing. Fairstead shares the mayor’s ‘people first’ vision and looks forward to working with the Adams administration to make that vision a reality.”
“Finally, a mayor who puts homelessness front and center in his housing plan,” said Ted Houghton, president, Gateway Housing. “Instead of just counting units, there’s record capital investment, regulatory relief to speed development, and a new focus on getting people into housing – and helping them stay there. We can make real progress with this plan.”
“The mayor’s housing plan offers critical support to organizations like HELPUSA in several areas, especially our efforts to improve the quality of shelter and types of services available to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness” said HELP USA’s CEO And President Dr. Thomas Hameline. “Expanding mental health services for adults and families, like the art therapy we currently offer at HELP Women’s Center, will significantly impact our ability to assist traumatized homeless individuals and to find permanent housing solutions that meet their needs. We commend Mayor Adams for making these items a priority in his housing plan and new budget.”
“Not only does this plan invest in the creation and preservation of affordable housing, but it prioritizes the services and support that New Yorkers need to become and remain stably housed, as well as investment in our communities and neighborhoods to ensure that they will thrive,” said Walter M. Roberts, executive director, Hope Community Inc. “Affordable housing must be an anchor for communities and a resource that meets the needs of every New Yorker, from those in publicly subsidized housing to those in shelter to renters looking for a better home and homeowners alike. Housing Our Neighborhoods outlines the type of bold, innovative policies that our city needs to deliver on this goal. We applaud the Adams administration for this effort and look forward to helping the city deliver the healthy, safe, affordable, and sustainable homes and neighborhoods that New Yorkers need.”
“Mayor Adams’ housing plan will not only ensure that New Yorkers have a safe, dignified place to call home, but also go a long way in addressing health disparities that plague too many communities in our city and in tackling our mental health crisis,” said Jody Rudin, president and CEO, Institute for Community Living. “Often the best prescription a medical professional can write a patient is for stable housing. We applaud Mayor Adams for this bold proposal and look forward to partnering with the city on projects that connect housing to the supportive services New Yorkers need to live healthy, independent lives.”
“The provision and preservation of decent and affordable housing is the very bedrock of a functioning and thriving city,” said Marc L. Greenberg, executive director, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing. “For four decades, New York City has struggled to live up to that promise for its most vulnerable residents. New York’s faith community stands ready to partner with Mayor Adams and his exceptional team, in solidarity with those who have been left behind, to do the hard work of restoring that promise between the city and the people it is charged to serve.”
“With a disproportionate number of Black New Yorkers facing housing insecurity and so few Black developers given the opportunity to help address the housing shortage itself, it’s clear that affordable housing development is one of the leading civil rights issues of our time,” said Valerie White, senior executive director, LISC NYC. “Mayor Adams’ housing blueprint recognizes that reality and draws on practical, proven, yet ambitious strategies to improve the city’s affordable housing ecosystem and ensures its one in which New Yorkers from underserved communities can both access quality, affordable housing and play a role in building the housing that a more equitable future demands. Because when BIPOC New Yorkers have a seat at the table, all communities benefit. This blueprint also considers the efficiencies that can be created through leveraging public-private partnerships, calling on both government and the private sector to work collaboratively to do their respective part to solve the crisis in earnest. We look forward to working with Mayor Adams, Chief Housing Officer Katz, Commissioner Carrión, and the entire administration to help execute this plan to make the city of New York one where all of its residents can work and live in comfortably.”
“LiveOn NY applauds Mayor Eric Adams and Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz for developing a housing blueprint that will move our city forward to ensure that all New Yorkers can have safe and affordable housing as they age,” said Allison Nickerson, executive director, LiveOn NY. “LiveOn NY is appreciative of this blueprint that is grounded in the lived experience of New Yorkers and is integrated across city agencies to provide more people with access to needed housing support. As the population of older New Yorkers continues to rise, we look forward to working with the city to make New York the best place to age.”
“The housing plan is a clear metric of our priorities as a city, and Housing Our Neighbors shows that this administration is committed to helping all New Yorkers,” said Mat Wambua, vice chairman, Merchants Capital and former HPD Commissioner. “From those who are on the cusp of homelessness or striving to leave the shelter system to NYCHA residents in need of repairs and homeowners looking to maintain safe housing for their families, this plan goes far beyond the norm to support people at all levels of housing stability. Congratulations to the housing team and the administration on a whole for envisioning a bold new future for New Yorkers.”
“We are excited that the Adams’ administration has completed its housing blueprint, putting forth a framework of ideas for addressing a myriad of the city’s housing and homelessness issues,” said Salvatore D’Avola, executive director, Neighborhood Restore Housing Development Fund Corporation. “We look forward to collaborating with HPD and other city agencies as they implement their plan.”
“We have previously applauded the Adams administration for calling for streamlined approvals, more flexibility in zoning and elimination of obsolete regulations. Today’s announcement around the city’s commitment to more affordable, safer, and more accessible housing recognizes every New Yorkers’ human right to housing,” said Carlo Scissura, president and CEO, New York Building Congress. “The city’s population grew by 629k between 2010-2020 (more than the entirety of Baltimore), but we only created 241k new units during that time. Our needs can only be truly met with more housing options than we’ve seen in the past, ideally multi-family, transit-oriented housing, with assists from ADUs. Finally, office conversions to affordable housing remain a top priority of the Building Congress, as we look to transform our business districts to match the new world, we face post-COVID. We look forward to speedy implementation of the Mayor’s Housing Plan, and we will do whatever we can to assist.”
“Finally bringing NYCHA residents to the table empowered us to take control of our futures as part of the Chelsea Working Group, and the city’s new housing plan commits even deeper resident engagement across the authority. NYCHA residents know better than anyone what their homes need, and we applaud the administration for its support in giving us a voice,” said Miguel Acevedo, Tenant Association president, NYCHA Fulton Houses.
“HPD’s important and ambitious new initiative focuses the expertise and experience of many in the public and private sectors dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing,” said Dan Martin, president and CEO, NYC Housing Partnership. “It will reenergize efforts to increase New Yorkers’ access to safe, comfortable, and affordable housing. Quality affordable housing–both rental units and opportunities to own affordable co-ops– strengthens the economic and social fabric of neighborhoods across the city.”
“Mayor Eric Adams’ people-focused housing plan is a welcome departure from the city’s siloed approach to housing policy. This new vision rightly centers on some of the most critical and pressing housing issues across the five boroughs, including NYCHA preservation, homelessness, and housing affordability,” said Rachel Fee, executive director, NY Housing Conference. “We are grateful that this blueprint incorporates many of the recommendations advanced by the United for Housing Coalition, and we look forward to working with the administration on its implementation with the goal of expediting the creation and preservation of safe, decent, and affordable housing for all New Yorkers.”
“Mayor Adams has created a comprehensive, unified strategy to invest $32 billion in building affordable housing, preserving public housing, and housing the homeless,” said Jolie Milstein, president and CEO, New York State Association for Affordable Housing. “These reforms will also cut red tape and streamline operations to directly benefit residents by getting them into high-quality housing more quickly while saving the city both time and money.”
“We at Open New York are thrilled to see that Mayor Adams understands what’s at stake if we don’t swiftly increase our housing supply,” said William Thomas, executive director, Open New York. “Even before the pandemic, our city’s housing supply was far from robust enough to keep prices down for renters and homeowners. This citywide perspective from the Adams administration is exactly what New York City needs to tackle the crisis at hand; we must diligently seize this moment and build more housing in our city so that housing becomes more affordable, and New York remains a city that’s truly for all of us.”
“It’s obvious Chief Housing Officers Katz has taken a different approach to homelessness and housing. Prior administrations always treated these issues separately. As a formerly homeless person I appreciate this approach. These issues are not mutually exclusive,” said Robert Robinson, special advisor, Partners for Dignity and Rights.
“This housing plan is exactly what we need in this moment. For too long we have celebrated the deal closing and assumed the rest of the system worked. This plan highlights that we must give as much attention to the leasing and move in process as anything else if we are going to tackle our housing crisis,” said Richard Roberts, principal and chief business development officer, Redstone Equity Partners and former HPD Commissioner. “I applaud the Adams administration for recognizing that the time is right to reset what and how we measure, and I look forward to working the housing team to getting more New Yorkers into affordable homes.”
“New York City has a housing crisis that will only continue to worsen without supporting change on multiple fronts. The plan released today puts forward sensible, long-overdue ideas that will help address several challenges we face,” said Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) President James Whelan.
“A good housing plan starts with listening to the people most directly impacted by our current crisis. Talking in-depth with NYCHA residents, people who have experienced homelessness, and New Yorkers trying to find affordable housing about what the city could do better has shaped a plan that has found new solutions and needed reforms,” said Moses Gates, vice president, Housing and Neighborhood Planning, Regional Plan Association. “This is a plan that is focused on people – how to help people move into affordable housing quicker and easier, how to improve people’s health through better living conditions, how to have families gain stability and build wealth through new homeownership opportunities. It does not shy away from hard truths about our housing situation and includes a long-overdue commitment to publish the true extent of our emergency shelter system. Nor does it shy away from good solutions, including a new maintenance and operations system for NYCHA, a commitment to combating asthma, lead, pests and other health hazards in our homes, and zoning reforms that incorporate the entire city and make sure each neighborhood contributes to making New York City an affordable and accessible place to live.”
“I am so pleased to see the plans outlined in the Adams’ administration housing blueprint today,” said Scott Short, CEO, RiseBoro Community Partnership. “With a focus on breaking down systemic barriers to safe, affordable, and stable housing for all New Yorkers, I believe the blueprint will have a real impact on solving the housing crisis we currently face.”
“Services for the UnderServed (“S:US”), a 44-year-old nonprofit social service and housing organization, is delighted to hear that the Adams administration will be releasing a comprehensive housing plan on June 14 and has received a summary of the contents (S:US has not been provided the actual plan). As described, the plan provides a comprehensive approach to dealing with the most pressing housing needs facing the city of New York,” said Arlo Chase, senior vice president of real estate & property development, Services for the UnderServed. “These include providing more transitional and permanent housing options for unhoused New Yorkers, improving the conditions for NYCHA residents, and rethinking a myriad of housing programs and regulatory procedures which will eventually create more affordable housing in shorter timeframes and at lower cost. The plan also addresses the key role of housing in helping build wealth for working families, addressing climate change, and improving health outcomes for all New Yorkers.”
“The Adams administration’s first housing blueprint takes unprecedented steps toward streamlining the complex and often circuitous processes by which people in need access supportive and affordable housing,” said Maclain Berhaupt, interim executive director, Supportive Housing Network of New York. “We are particularly encouraged by the administration’s strengthened commitment to and acceleration of supportive housing development. We also applaud the plan to increase engagement with those who have lived experience of homelessness and housing insecurity and use that feedback to inform real-world policies. We look forward to seeing more details on the resources allocated to implement this blueprint, and to working with the mayor and his team to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens so unhoused individuals can get into safe, affordable, and supportive homes as quickly as possible.”
“The new housing plan represents an approach toward centering the end user in the solutions to the affordability and homelessness crisis. Homeless people or those on the verge have never cared about how many units closed their financing in a fiscal year. They want to know why it takes so long to move into an apartment off the housing lottery, why they have to provide the same income forms to several agencies, or why affordable housing isn’t being built in their neighborhood,” said Juan Barahona, founder, SMJ Development. “I applaud Chief Housing Officer Katz and the entire housing leadership for adopting this strategy which will make everyone involved accountable for its success.”
“Urban Resource Institute applauds Mayor Adams’ commitment to enhancing safe communities through access to housing for vulnerable New Yorkers facing housing instability and homelessness,” said Nathaniel M. Fields, CEO, Urban Resource Center. “We stand in support of increasing access to a continuum of care that includes a diverse portfolio of housing models responsive to the needs of New Yorkers such as the clients URI serves: survivors of domestic violence and homeless families across our great city. We look forward to continuing our role in cross-system partnerships with the city and other service providers working to reduce the impact of violence, poverty, and homelessness to build stronger and safer communities.”
“With this plan, Mayor Adams is cementing what many New Yorkers have long known — you cannot talk about housing without also discussing how to fix our homelessness crisis. It may seem basic but including policies to support homeless New Yorkers in the city’s housing plan represents a clear and welcome shift,” said Christine C. Quinn, president and CEO, Win. “I applaud Mayor Adams for his proposals to provide the mental health services homeless families deserve and ensure all New Yorkers can use housing vouchers, regardless of their immigration status. These are policies that Win has long advocated for, and we look forward to working with the Adams administration to make them a reality.”
“As a licensed real estate person that has worked extensively with people with vouchers, older New Yorkers, and veterans – and someone who has experienced homelessness myself – I know this system inside and out,” said Paris Dickey. “I am thrilled to see a housing and homelessness plan that finally reflects the needs and insight of those most impacted by our housing crisis. I’m also humbled to have contributed to this plan that will help landlords and agents be a part of the solution and help residents in their time of need.”
“As someone who represents residents of the Harmonia Transitional Living Facility, as well as former displaced families who resided at the Mave Hotel and the Lucerne Hotel in New York City, I want to acknowledge the fact that that Mayor Adams is the first mayor who has actually included those who have been impacted by homelessness. We are forever grateful,” said Michael Bonano.