Two key City Council committees are expected to vote on Mayor Eric Adams’ signature “City of Yes” housing plan on Thursday morning, which has faced months of pushback from local communities and has a tenuous path forward in the Council.
The plan would overhaul the city’s zoning rules for the first time since 1961 to allow the creation of roughly 100,000 new units over the next 15 years, with the aim of addressing the city’s affordability crisis and its housing shortage. The Council’s zoning subcommittee is expected to take up the mayor’s proposal at 11:15 a.m. Thursday, followed by the land use committee.
City of Yes has drawn sharp criticism from residents who have cited a range of concerns, including a desire to preserve their neighborhoods’ existing character and skepticism that spurring development would do enough to address a yearslong housing crisis that has only worsened.
The plan the Council will ultimately vote on is likely to have concessions on at least some of the most contentious aspects of the mayor’s initial vision. Aside from typical worries about infrastructure, building size and neighborhood density, the elimination of parking mandates — particularly in areas with sparse transit options — has been one of the biggest gripes.
The full Council vote is expected on Dec. 5.