City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Approved by the Council
On December 5, 2024, the New York City Council approved with modifications the NYC Department of City Planning’s (DCP) City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the third and final of Mayor Adams’ City of Yes initiatives. The new citywide zoning text seeks to facilitate housing development throughout the five boroughs and is the largest comprehensive overhaul of the city’s zoning regulations since 1961.
DCP’s proposal was approved by the City Planning Commission(CPC) on September 25, 2024. Subsequent modifications by the City Council were the result of extensive negotiations in response to concerns raised by some Council members that a citywide “one-size fits all” solution to the city’s housing crisis ignores unique characteristics and needs of individual communities.
As part of its agreement to move forward with the proposal, the City Council secured $5 billion in commitments from Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul to implement its “City for All” commitments. City for All aims to deepen affordability and preserve existing affordable housing, support affordable home ownership, protect tenants, provide neighborhood planning services, and bolster agencies’ capacity to implement these goals.
Council Introduces and Passes Legislation
Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. In addition to formally signing off on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the Council approved Muriel Goode-Trufant as the Mayor’s corporation counsel. The Council also approved two bills beginning a pilot program to convert basement or cellar apartments, and setting forth eligibility and design requirements for ancillary dwelling units (ADUs). The Council introduced a bill expanding protections for delivery workers, allowing them to set a maximum distance per trip and see trip information before accepting a delivery. You can find all of the legislation that was passed and introduced here.
New Candidate for Manhattan Borough President
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal has announced that he will be running for Manhattan Borough President in the 2025 Democratic primary. Incumbent Mark Levine will be running for City Comptroller, since the current Comptroller Brad Lander is running for Mayor. Hoylman-Sigal ran for Manhattan Borough President previously in 2021, coming in second to Mark Levine in the ranked choice primary. Councilmember Keith Powers is also vying for the position.
Client Spotlight: City Parks Foundation
City Parks Foundation recently gathered at St. Mary's Park in the Bronx to celebrate the launch of NYC's first comprehensive Urban Forest Plan. This 10-year initiative aims to equitably increase the city’s tree canopy to 30% by 2035, and in doing so, create cooling urban heat islands, reduce stormwater runoff, and enhance biodiversity. Two landmark pieces of legislation made this possible, one which incorporates the tree canopy into long-term sustainability planning, and another that mandates the creation of a citywide urban forest plan aimed at increasing tree canopy cover from 22% to 30%.
City Parks Foundation supported the adoption of these laws and was critically engaged with the subsequent drafting of the Urban Forest Plan. They are now collaborating with NYC Parks, the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, the City Council, as well as various parks stakeholders and private entities, to secure funding and ensure the plan’s long-term success.