After the governor’s ambitious housing proposal failed to make headway in the state legislature, one lawyer argues Hochul should use executive power to move the needle forward on housing production.

The failure of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed housing plan came as no surprise to Craig Gurian, executive director of the Anti-Discrimination Center of New York. In an article in Gothamist, Herb Pinder and Elizabeth Shwe provide highlights from a conversation with Gurian, whose legal group “won a novel court settlement compelling Westchester towns to build hundreds of affordable housing units” almost 14 years ago—“and met resistance at nearly every turn – not unlike Hochul’s failed plan.”
The governor’s housing plan, which called for 800,000 new housing units and would have given the state broad powers over zoning, fell apart amidst heated debate and criticism from both sides of the aisle in the state legislature. Gurian asserts that developer incentives, the preferred method for increasing the affordable housing supply, are clearly not enough to boost housing supply. “I think the word that's applicable is “delusional.” We've had decade after decade of incentives or requests or targets, and they never work.”
Gurian says Gov. Hochul should use the executive tools at her disposal to take meaningful action despite the legislature’s stalemate on housing. “There is a specific legal doctrine in New York State that allows building even when a locality opposes, when the state's interest is superior to the localities. Given the crisis, there's no question that the state's interest would be found to be superior, so I think that Governor Hochul should be using that doctrine.”
FULL STORY: A lesson from Gov. Hochul’s failed NY housing plan: ‘Pretty please’ isn’t enough, lawyer says

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

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.

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.

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.

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.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie