What Mayor Mamdani’s Housing Plan Means for S:US and for New York City
Alafia Phase 1 building in East New York. Photo credit: L+M Development Partners.
New York is at an inflection point. With Mayor Mamdani outlining one of the most ambitious housing agendas the city has seen in decades, the conversation about what it will take to truly address the crisis has shifted — and so has the scale of responsibility for organizations like Services for the UnderServed (S:US).
Perry Perlmutter
Perry Perlmutter, President & CEO, shares his perspectives on Mayor Mamdani’s new housing plan, why its focus on both production and preservation matters, and how supportive housing must remain central to any strategy that aims not just to build units, but to build stability. As one of the city’s largest supportive housing providers, we’re ready to meet this moment and to partner with the City to ensure that growth reaches the New Yorkers who need it most.
Mayor Mamdani’s Housing Plan
New York City’s housing crisis is not new. What is new is the scale of ambition behind the Mamdani Administration’s response to it.
A goal of building 200,000 new affordable homes over the next ten years, alongside preserving another 200,000 existing units, represents one of the most comprehensive housing commitments this city has seen in decades. At Services for the UnderServed (S:US), we welcome it, and we’re ready to be a real partner in delivering it.
As one of New York’s largest supportive housing providers, with more than 100 residential buildings across the five boroughs, S:US has set its own production goal of opening 2,000 new homes each year. That commitment reflects our belief that the scale of the crisis demands more than incremental progress — and that nonprofit developers with deep community roots have a critical role to play.
Beyond Supply: What Stability Requires
Increasing the number of affordable units is necessary. But for many New Yorkers, including those navigating homelessness, behavioral health challenges, or long-term economic instability, a home is the foundation, not the full picture. Supportive housing pairs affordable housing with access to health care, employment support, and community services, giving residents the conditions to maintain stability over time. It also reduces pressure on emergency systems across the city. As production scales, continued investment in deeply affordable and supportive housing is essential to ensuring that growth reaches those who need it most.
S:US is ready to partner with the City, to bring our development experience and service infrastructure to new projects, and to help ensure that as New York builds, it builds inclusively. Because when housing works — really works — it doesn’t just put a roof over someone’s head. It puts them on a path forward.
