COMMENTARY: Creating Social Housing in the Sky

By Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and Senator Cordell Cleare

The next innovation in the pursuit of permanently affordable housing for New Yorkers can be found amongst the glistening luxury high-rise condominiums. These high-rise condominium complexes will also include the next wave of cooperatively-owned and community-controlled affordable homeownership opportunities in New York City — social housing in the sky — if our bill, the recently updated Martin Act amendment (S3566A/A6921A), becomes law.


Updated: “How Doomed is the Loop?”: Discussion on Remote Work Impact on City’s Financial Health

How “doomed” is New York City due to the prevalence of remote work and its impact on commercial real estate values? Experts discussed the city’s fiscal outlook during a recent panel discussion, “How Doomed is the Loop?,” hosted by the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School. The January 25th panel was moderated by Mark Willis, Senior Policy Fellow at the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and <Read More>


HPD Announces Bergen Green Affordable Housing Project in Latest 24 in 24 Push

On January 31, 2024, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced that Apex Building Group and Bridge Street Development Corporation will be building 116 homes for low-income families at 516 Bergen Street in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The announcement comes in light of Mayor Adams’ push for affordable housing advancements on publicly owned land. Mayor Adam’s 24 in 24 plan is seeking to create or preserve around 12,000 units of housing <Read More>


HPD Launches Month-Long Affordable Housing Push with Over 500 Units Planned at Inwood Waterfront Site

On January 29, 2024, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development began a month-long effort to advance affordable housing projects on public sites citywide as part of Mayor Eric Adams’ “24 in 24” plan. The plan, announced in his State of the City address, aims to advance 24 affordable housing projects on public sites in 2024 to create or preserve over 12,000 affordable units. The first site is currently an unused city-owned parking lot on <Read More>


Parks and CUNY Announce Initial Findings of Positive Impacts of Community Parks Initiative Investments

On January 23, 2024, the Parks Department and the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy shared the findings of a large-scale study of the public health impacts of the Community Parks Initiative. The Community Parks Initiative is an equity-based investment program to build and renovate parks, infrastructure, and community programming in underserved neighborhoods. The program, which launched in 2014, has improved 65 parks citywide, with another 22 projects <Read More>


City Planning Commission Certifies, Starts Public Review Process for Bronx Metro-North Station Area

On January 22, 2024, the City Planning Commission launched the public review of the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan. The plan compliments the development of four new Metro-North stations along the East Bronx in Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, Hunts Point, and Co-Op City. The stations will be added to the New Haven line and are expected to open in 2027.