NYC Loses Affordable SROs Due To Illegal Conversions

Illegal conversion of single room occupancy ('efficiency') apartments in NYC threaten one of the few remaining sources of private, affordable housing in the City. Housing advocates attempt to stem the tide, but it's rough going.

1 minute read

January 24, 2006, 8:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


"As the city faces a serious shortage of low-cost housing for its own residents, building owners are turning existing units into hotel rooms, hostels and corporate housing for out-of-towners. The trend is most noticeable in Manhattan neighborhoods where the supply of low-cost units was already dwindling and the demand for tourist rooms has shot up."

In Chelsea and Clinton, Mr. Kalin of Housing Conservation Coordinators said his organization had found different types of illegal conversions: rent-regulated apartment buildings being run largely as hotels, rent-regulated apartments being used as short-term vacation rentals, residential apartments being chopped up into single rooms for European students, residential buildings being leased commercially for use as corporate housing.

He added: "It gets to the heart of a conversation we have all over the place when we try to defend affordable housing in our neighborhood. We think it's important to the identity of our neighborhood and the city to preserve diversity and preserve stability in some of the neighborhoods that make up New York, including those at the city's core. It may be a more efficient use of real estate to segregate people by income and segregate land by use, but I think it ignores the thread of community that people in our neighborhood and elsewhere find so valuable about living in New York."

Sunday, January 22, 2006 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight