New York City Mayor Mamdani announced his first major housing plan after taking office on the 26th, aiming to build 200,000 affordable housing units and maintain 200,000 existing affordable housing units over the next 10 years. At the same time, $5.6 billion will be invested in repairing and renovating government buildings managed by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in response to the ongoing housing crisis in New York.
Mayor Mamdani announced the large-scale housing plan, titled “Block by Block,” in Brooklyn, stating that the cost of housing in New York City has become a core issue of overall affordability. He mentioned that decades of zoning, inadequate public housing investments, and loopholes in the rental system have led to the current housing shortage and high rent pressures.
In terms of housing supply, the city government has pledged to build 200,000 new affordable housing units and maintain 200,000 existing units within the next 10 years, totaling 400,000 units. The city plans to allocate $22 billion in capital spending over the next five years.
The city also aims to promote further zoning and land use reforms, including accelerating approval processes, streamlining development procedures, and expanding residential construction. The city stated that the zoning reforms in 1961 significantly reduced housing capacity, leading to a long-term housing shortage.
To reduce construction costs, the Department of Buildings (DOB) will review current building regulations and construction standards to seek cost reductions without compromising safety. Possible directions considered by the city include allowing smaller European-style elevators, adjusting some pipeline material requirements, and promoting the use of more non-traditional construction materials.
DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani mentioned that construction financing costs ultimately reflect on rent and sale prices, so reducing construction costs helps lower housing burdens.
Currently, only about 34% of apartments in New York City feature step-free designs, with the ratio even lower at 21% for homes built before 1974. The city plans to launch pilot programs in 2026 to allow existing buildings without elevators to install smaller elevators to meet the housing needs of elderly residents.
Mayor Mamdani also tried to balance tenant protection with market development during a press conference. He emphasized that he had been involved in tenant movements in the past but gradually realized that without increasing housing supply, it would be impossible to truly reduce housing costs.
He cited Austin, Texas as an example, where adding approximately 120,000 housing units from 2015 to 2024 led to a decrease in median rent from $1,546 in 2021 to $1,296 in January of this year.
Public housing reform is another core aspect of the entire plan. The city announced a phased investment of $5.6 billion over the next five years to renovate facilities managed by the NYCHA, including repairing leaks, mold, elevators, and other long-standing maintenance issues.
Mayor Mamdani stated that some elevator repair times currently exceed 400 days, a situation that cannot continue.
He emphasized that public housing will remain “publicly-owned and operated” and will not be privatized. At the same time, the city government hopes to have the NYCHA resume its role as a public developer, creating long-term sources of revenue through new financing and development models.
Currently, the NYCHA manages over 170,000 apartments distributed across 335 communities throughout the city, with many built decades ago.