City of Yes for Housing Opportunity: Analyzing Its Impact on New York City

For years, New Yorkers have been experiencing a growing housing and affordability crisis. Antiquated and unnecessary zoning laws limit opportunities to build housing and make projects that are built more expensive. The pervasive nature of the housing crisis demands citywide action with every neighborhood chipping in to help New York tackle this crisis head on and build housing of all types to meet New Yorkers' needs. The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning text amendment proposal targets the housing crisis by making incremental changes to enable a little more housing in every neighborhood throughout the city.  

This program will explain the nuances of the City of Yes proposal from a technical perspective and analyze its impact on New York City. Panels will consist of advocates, architects, developers, zoning experts, government officials, and community members to discuss the ins and outs of the proposal and why it’s critical for the city to pass the zoning amendment. 

An initial presentation from Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick will overview the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal. Panel One will discuss the proposal from a technical perspective, diving into the new tools the changes will provide compared to the current zoning, why these changes matter, and how they will impact New York City. Panel Two will focus on how the proposal will contribute to building affordable housing and who it will benefit. This panel will be an opportunity to address common misconceptions about the proposal and concerns brought up during the review process. Panels will be followed by Q&A.

Schedule:
8:30 AM – Arrival and Coffee
8:45 AM – Introductions
9:00 AM – Keynote: Overview of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity
Daniel Garodnick, Chair, New York City Planning Commission; Director, New York City Department of City Planning

9:30 AM – Panel 1: Zoning Impact on Housing Affordability
Rachel Fee, Executive Director, New York Housing Conference
Shahana Hanif, Council Member, District 39, New York City Council
Kevin Jones, Associate State Director, Advocacy, AARP New York
Matthew Murphy, Executive Director, NYU Furman Center

10:30 AM – Panel 2: Technical Review on Zoning Changes
Darrick Borowski, AIA, Principal, ARExA Design & Research; Professor, Design Studio, School of Visual Arts Interior Design/Built Environments Program
Jerrod Delaine, Chief Executive Officer, The Delaine Companies
Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director, Open Plans
Maulin Mehta, New York Director, Regional Plan Association
Howard Slatkin, Executive Director, Citizens Housing Planning Council