They start a 'Housing League' in New York. NIMBYs not allowed.
A housing crisis threatens New York City? A few politicians believe they have an answer: a new “league” of officials like themselves who want to welcome development, including market-rate apartment development.
The two officials, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Manhattan City Councilman Erik Bottcher, founded the group to refute the long-held theory that thwarting development is a political victory. That idea, many housing experts agree, has helped create a shortage of hundreds of thousands of homes in and around the city. causing rents and house prices to continue to rise while residents compete for the limited supply.
On Monday, the duo sent an invitation to all 160 state and city politicians representing parts of New York City to come to an inaugural meeting next month. Mr. Reynoso said he wanted officials to come even if they are skeptical, but not if they just want to oppose housing.
“We don't want you if you're just a real NIMBY,” Mr. Reynoso said, referring to the phrase “not in my backyard,” often used as a label for people who oppose development.
So far, there are few details on what the 'competition' will look like. Mr Reynoso said much of the group's structure would be worked out at an initial closed-door meeting in March.
But he hopes the league can build on a growing willingness to embrace development among politicians who may have resisted in the past. Both Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have said the city needs hundreds of thousands of additional homes, and Mr. Adams is pushing to rezone areas near transit stations and around low-density neighborhoods to add more housing.
Mr. Reynoso's colleague in Manhattan, Mark Levine, has called for housing to be built on underutilized lots in that neighborhood. Mr. Reynoso said the two borough presidents “have healthy competition to solve the biggest problem in our city.”
Mr. Levine said in a statement that the city needs “elected leaders committed to this fight, to come together to support each other.”
Some things the League could do, according to Mr. Reynoso, include: making statements against politicians who oppose new construction; working with colleagues concerned that development could cause gentrification; and standing behind politicians who want to support controversial new housing projects.
“What we want to do is show a show of force from people publicly supporting housing,” Mr. Reynoso said.
That could be a big problem in New York City, where proposals to build on certain parcels or blocks turn into proxy fights over development and are sometimes torpedoed by local officials.
Last year, a parcel in Harlem captured the city's attention when it was converted into a truck depot after the city councilman opposed the development of a high-rise complex. This year neighborhood groups fighting over a proposal to convert an industrial building in Brooklyn owned by a linen company, Arrow Linen, into two new residential towers.
“Historically, legislators have said to voters, 'If you elect me, I will help prevent new housing from being built in our community,'” Mr. Bottcher said. “We need to turn that on its head.”