Apartment-to-house conversions are contributing to a net loss of housing in some of the city’s historic neighborhoods.
According to an article by Rachel Holliday Smith in The City, “over the last 70-plus years, mergers of flats and rooming houses into bigger residences have taken a steady toll on [New York City’s] housing stock, a new study finds.”
The study from historic preservationist Adam Brodheim found that in Manhattan, where conversions have been most aggressive, “each conversion accounted for the loss of between six or seven units on average.” Based on Brodheim’s estimate, the city lost 104,000 housing units to conversions since the 1950s.
“In the past decade, such apartment combinations have nearly erased gains made by the construction of new housing units in the wealthiest parts of the city, particularly in the Upper East and Upper West sides of Manhattan.” The city’s historic districts also experienced a net loss of housing between 2010 and 2022.
The answer, for Brodheim and others, is not to limit conversions, but to make up for them.“Trying to restrict that activity is not necessarily beneficial because there is a demand for it. What this illustrates is that you just have to build a lot more housing.”
FULL STORY: NYC Lost 100K Homes in Apartment-to-House Conversions
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
New York’s Airbnb Reform, One Month In
Less than half of submissions to the city’s new application process have been approved under new short-term rental regulations.
Will New York ‘City of Yes’ Proposal Make an Impact?
Some housing experts say the rezoning plan is not nearly ambitious enough to make a dent in the city’s housing crisis.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population
In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.
Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan
City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.
Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?
The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.
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.
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Edmonds
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research