Safety Net
Homelessness and Our Safety Net
August 24, 2017
Preservation and Zoning
Land-Use, Preservation and Zoning
August 24, 2017
Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing, Senior Housing, and Housing for People With Disabilities

As Mayor, Richard will champion affordable housing so New Yorkers from all walks have homes.
  • Preserve existing housing by adding building inspectors, requiring landlords to promptly correct building code violations, and summarizing open violations and fines on real estate tax bills, to put owners and lenders on notice and improve compliance.
  • Add a self-inspection system by tenants, requiring apartment building managers to accept photos of violations over the web and coordinate faster repairs with tenants.
  • Coordinate agency information to improve efficiency, make online public access more user-friendly, and create one-stop shopping for tenants and landlords.
  • Expand funding to build affordable housing, including triple-tax exempt bonds; wasted rent now paid to private landlords for homeless housing; and investments from NYC pension funds to build housing for municipal employees and others.
  • Build new affordable housing on New York City Housing Authority properties, with priority for existing NYCHA residents — especially supportive senior housing with enhanced services and facilities, to which residents can transition over time, in naturally occurring retirement communities, freeing up larger apartments for families.
  • Create new supportive mixed-use communal facilities to economically house, feed, and provide better services to seniors, people with disabilities, and homeless families displaced from the surrounding neighborhood or its schools.
  • Spread affordable housing subsidies over more renters, instead of highly subsidizing luxury apartments for a few lottery winners.