"In New York City, the increasingly desperate need to build more affordable housing has long run up against an arduous approvals process that hinges on winning community support. Currently it defers to local councilmembers' preferences, allowing councilmembers to negotiate for community benefits when developers propose housing projects but also to nix them for no reason at all. The result is not enough housing overall and"
"where some development-friendly neighborhoods see a lot of new construction while other areas, like Riverdale or parts of northeast Queens, block pretty much everything to the extent that a lot of developers have simply stopped trying to build there. Earlier this year, Mayor Eric Adams convened a commission to see what could be changed in the Charter, the city's governing document, to address these issues."
"The propositions, which are designed to shift some of the power away from local councilmembers and give more of it to the mayor and the borough president, have been controversial to say the least. With the most to lose, pretty much the entire city council is vehemently opposed. They've framed the proposals as top down, dictatorial, and pro-developer changes that strip communities of their power"
New York City's approvals process for housing currently defers to local councilmembers, allowing them to negotiate community benefits or block projects. That structure has produced too little housing overall and uneven development, with some neighborhoods welcoming construction while others, like Riverdale and parts of northeast Queens, effectively halt projects. Mayor Eric Adams convened a commission that proposed three Charter amendments—Propositions 2, 3, and 4—to reallocate some approval power toward the mayor and borough presidents. The measures appear on the ballot starting October 25. The proposals have drawn fierce opposition from most City Council members, who call them top-down and pro-developer, while other elected officials from across the political spectrum support them.
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