New York Housing Plan Emphasizes Zoning Reform, Transit-Oriented Development

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s new housing plan borrows elements from other states, focusing on loosening zoning restrictions, setting growth targets, and encouraging transit-oriented development to boost housing production. As Mihir Zaveri reports in The New York Times,

From California, Ms. Hochul is proposing a requirement that cities set and meet housing growth targets. Her proposal also adapts a new Massachusetts plan that loosens restrictions on development around train and bus stations. Mirroring a program in Utah, the Hochul administration is proposing a “choose-your-own-adventure” scheme that lets communities select from different policies — such as eliminating constraints on building heights or converting former strip malls — to make way for more homes.

The proposal faces criticism from both sides of the political aisle. “Some politicians on the right say it improperly erodes local power, while others on the left note that it would probably not immediately help the lowest-earning residents who are struggling the most with affordability.” 

Some state lawmakers say the proposal is part of a long-term strategy that, while it may not lower housing costs in the short term, would increase the housing supply and prevent future crises. The state’s estimated housing need over the next decade is 817,000 new units.

A separate article by Christian Wade in The Center Square details the pushback the governor’s plan faces from suburban communities resistant to adding more housing or increasing density.