Mayor's Budget Prioritizes Supportive Housing With Thousands Of New Units
Mayor Eric Adams will ramp up New York City’s commitment to a Bill de Blasio-era initiative designed to fight homelessness, the mayor announced Monday morning.
Adams plans to commit $46M over the next few years to building and preserving almost 6,000 units of supportive housing, according to a release. The idea was first introduced in 2015 by de Blasio, whose aim to create 15,000 such units over 15 years was echoed by Adams on Monday.
“Some of you may remember we were here last month to cut the ribbon on a new 93 units of supportive and affordable housing. We were excited about that initiative, but we're going further than that,” Adams said at a press conference Monday morning. “We're getting people the housing, the help and healthcare they need.”
The mayor also announced an additional $350M investment in NYC Housing Authority renovations via Permanent Affordability Commitment Together and New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust programs, as well as $7.6M in funding for legal services to help tenants fight landlord harassment.
“This year’s budget will capitalize on these monumental achievements and continue to invest billions of dollars in our city’s housing agencies so they can create housing stability and opportunity for every New Yorker,” NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr. said in a statement.
The $46M supportive housing investment brings the city’s total commitment to $229M. The amount will provide 5,850 supportive units in congregate settings, meaning units will be clustered in purpose-built properties that also house on-site social services.
The city had already surpassed its target of preserving 7,500 congregate supportive units in the 15-year period, Politico reported. Around 1,300 of the newly announced units are existing dwellings that will be preserved, while 4,500 will be new, The Real Deal reported.
But NYC is behind with the 15/15 initiative’s other goal of producing 7,500 units of scattered-site supportive housing, where units are located in privately owned buildings and social services are off-site, City & State reported.
However, advocates say the existing housing crisis — the city’s overall housing vacancy levels are still at the historic low of 1.4%, but that drops to 0.4% for units renting for less than $1,100 a month — mean the scattered-site goal is “unworkable.”
“Today’s announcement will enable the city to put those funds to better use, creating thousands of new, high-quality affordable and supportive apartments while ensuring those created decades ago remain livable,” Pascale Leone, executive director for advocacy group Supportive Housing Network of New York, said in a statement.
