Why Eric Adams vetoed his second ever housing bills bill
Why it matters: The mayor and city council disagree on how to handle New York’s housing crisis.
New York City is facing a housing crisis with skyrocketing rents and record homelessness. In the latest setback for tenants, major rent increases were approved this week for the second consecutive year for about one million rent-stabilized apartments.
The bills vetoed by the mayor, passed last month, would expand the city’s rental voucher program for poor New Yorkers, known as CityFHEPS. They would remove some eligibility rules for the program and open it up to people earning up to 50 percent of the area’s median income.
For example, one bill would expand a city voucher program to more low-income households who owe rent and are at risk of eviction even if they are not yet homeless.
Mr Adams has drawn criticism from housing advocates for not moving fast enough to create affordable housing, support rent increases and clean up homeless camps.
Ms Adams, who is not related to the mayor, said Mr Adams had exacerbated the housing crisis through budget cuts and a “failure to find solutions”.
Jonathan Westin, a leader of the state Working Families party, said the mayor’s veto was “cruel” and “condemns thousands of unhoused New Yorkers to overcrowded shelters and overcrowded subways.”
Mr. Adams’ statement stated that he had done so issued an emergency order Last week, he scrapped a requirement that homeless people must stay in shelters for 90 days before they can move into permanent homes – a move the city council has pressured him to do.
Background: The right of veto is a little-used power in New York.
The mayoral veto has been rare in recent years. This is Mr Adams’ first since January 2022, when he vetoed a bill that increased penalties for zoning violations.
His predecessor, Bill de Blasio, did not veto a single bill during his eight years as mayor.
Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City, a business group, said Mr. De Blasio’s aversion to vetoes had encouraged the city council to push “bills that deserved more careful study.” She thanked Mr Adams for the veto and said she hoped it would result in “a more rigorous review of the proposed legislation before it comes into effect”.
What’s next
The city council can vote to override the mayor’s veto. But the mayor can sue the city council to stop the laws — a tactic used by former mayor Michael R. Bloomberg — or the city council can sue the mayor if he chooses not to implement them.
In that case, the judge could ultimately decide on the fate of the bills.
Mihir Zaveri reporting contributed.