NYC Lost 40% of its Affordable Housing Over the Last Decade

A new study by the Community Service Society has found that New York City lost an astonishing percentage of apartments affordable to low-income residents over the past decade. The study supports Mayor de Blasio's "tale of two cities" narrative.

1 minute read

January 13, 2014, 8:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

Mike Goren / Flickr

To achieve his goal of expanding the city's supply of affordable housing, a new report suggests New York mayor Bill de Blasio has a tough task ahead of him. "The Bloomberg administration marshaled billions of dollars to create and preserve affordable housing, but a new report said the city lost 40% of apartments for low-income residents over the last decade," reports Laura Kusisto.

From 2002 through 2011, the city lost more than 385,000 units of housing that would be affordable to a demographic that makes up about 40% of the city, she explains.

"Affordable-housing advocates point to a couple of factors: One is the ability of landlords to raise rents after renovating rent-regulated apartments, eventually allowing them to convert those apartments to market-rate. Another is rapidly increasing rents in gentrifying areas, such as Harlem and the Corona neighborhood of Queens."

Advocates and scholars disagree on whether strengthening rent-stabilization laws or encouraging the construction of more market-rate housing offers the best solution.

FULL STORY: City's Affordable Housing Units Dwindle

Thursday, January 9, 2014 in The Wall Street Journal

Housing New York Affordable Housing New York City

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

Start Learning

Advertise with us

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.