New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning & Franchises – Public Hearing
October 22, 2024

Urban Design Forum Testimony on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity

Good afternoon, my name is Guillermo Gomez, and I’m speaking today on behalf of Urban Design Forum to express our support for City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.

New York City’s housing crisis demands bold action. Our current zoning laws are outdated, restrict new housing in areas with excellent transit and job opportunities, and perpetuate racial and economic segregation. Paired with incentives and subsidies for deeply affordable housing, City of Yes for Housing Opportunity has the potential to address this crisis head-on.

At Urban Design Forum, a member-powered nonprofit organization of over 1,000 civic leaders, we work to connect and inspire New Yorkers to design, build, and care for a better city. We have consistently tackled issues like housing affordability and homelessness, drawing on the expertise of leaders in community planning, design, and development.

Several key proposals in the City of Yes plan align with our priorities: 

First, City of Yes will allow easier conversions of underutilized Class B and C office buildings, boosting our housing stock, revitalizing street-level activity, and promoting reuse of existing structures to reduce construction waste.

Second, we can lift parking mandates and join cities like Buffalo, San Francisco, and Minneapolis that have already eliminated these requirements. Development projects can prioritize much-needed housing units over oftentimes unneeded extra parking on a site, which could make projects more feasible and reduce rents. 

Third, City of Yes could support the creation of many housing options for our most vulnerable New Yorkers. It will legalize granny flats (or ADUs) to help older adults age in place, create pathways for safer, regulated basement apartments—critical but often very vulnerable housing options—and streamline the development of supportive housing for those at risk or experiencing homelessness.

Finally, promoting transit-oriented development will ensure that new housing is built where people can access public transit, reducing car dependency and supporting climate-forward, walkable, and healthier communities.

While all these proposals are important, they are also incremental, increasing housing numbers citywide rather than concentrating in specific neighborhoods. City of Yes cannot address this crisis alone, so we encourage the city to also continue to seek ways to fund deeply affordable housing, maintain public housing, and support tenant protections. 

Urban Design Forum urges the New York City Council to adopt City of Yes as a key step toward a more equitable and fair New York City.

Thank you for your time.