Massive Affordable Housing Effort in New York Faces Coronavirus Reckoning

A controversial but sweeping housing initiative in New York City, one of Mayor Bill de Blasio's signature initiatives, had a full head of steam before the coronavirus. Now it's facing drastic cuts.

1 minute read

April 29, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Hidden New York City

Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

In the wake of the fiscal impacts of the coronavirus, Mayor Bill de Blasio has "proposed momentous cuts to his signature 10-year plan to build and preserve 300,000 homes at less than market rate by 2026," reports Janaki Chadha.  According to figures shared with Chadha, the mayor is proposing to cut "$583 million from the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, and another $456 million next year…"

An expert cited in the article says affordable housing financing will be very difficult during the downturn, and the need for affordable housing supply is only likely to increase.

"The 12-year housing plan, which has benefited from a booming city economy, was going so well de Blasio decided in 2017 to roughly double its capital budget to $16.9 billion and expand the goal from its original 200,000 homes to 300,000," according to Chadha. The city's financial commitment to affordable housing could be headed toward another reckoning in June, according to the article, when the city would typically close on a large share of financing deals involving tax-exempt bonds.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 in Politico

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

Get top-rated, practical training

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.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

6 hours ago - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

7 hours ago - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO