NEW YORK : De Blasio Unveils Affordable Housing Initiative

[chris08876]

City Unveils Details On Flushing West Rezoning: A Waterfront Promenade And A Possible Bus Terminal

The polluted waterfront blocks in eastern Queens known as Flushing West are an industrial wasteland: vacant lots, warehouses, a scrap metal business, a lumber yard, a U-Haul rental. But the city hosted a meeting Wednesday night laying out its plan to rezone the 10-block swath along Flushing Creek and revitalize the area with new residential development.

Some industrial uses will be preserved, simply because certain landlords, like the U-Haul franchise owner, don’t plan to sell their property to residential developers anytime soon. Meanwhile, most of the area’s C4-2 commercial zoning will be upped to C4-4A. Although the current zoning allows residential and commercial projects, planners argue that it doesn’t create buildings that engage well with the street or pedestrians.

If the 10 blocks in the rezoning area were developed today, the new buildings would have block-covering bases with huge parking garages, topped by squat residential towers. And so far, it’s created more hotels than residential projects, because current zoning requires far less parking for hotels than for apartments.

A small swath next to the manufacturing zone will become a mixed-use district, much like Long Island City. That two-block piece could have light industrial and commercial uses, along with apartment buildings of up to 80 feet.

But the defining piece of the city’s plan is the creation of a special waterfront district. It would require developers along Flushing Creek to create a waterfront promenade that’s at least 40 feet wide. The district may also require builders to include active uses on the ground floor, particularly along the waterfront. Planners want to encourage bars, restaurants, small shops, and community uses that go beyond medical offices, like daycares and senior centers.

The special district would also cap heights between 10 and 14 stories, because Flushing West sits directly in the flight path to LaGuardia Airport. Developers who want to build taller will have to get a special permit from the Board of Standards and Appeals, and furnish documentation from the Federal Aviation Administration that the extra height won’t interfere with the planes. Even then, builders could probably only get three or four extra stories on top of the maximum heights.

And every new development will be subject to Mayor de Blasio’s mandatory inclusionary housing program, which requires builders to set aside 25 to 30 percent of their rentals as affordable housing. Developers will get to choose between two different options:

Rent 25% of residential floor area at 60% of the city’s Area Median Income, or $46,620 for a family of three.
Rent 30% of residential floor area at 80% of Area Median Income, which is $62,150 for a family of three.

========================
NYY

[chris08876]

Just how bad the housing crisis is
=======================

Demand for these tiny NYC apartments is off the charts

More than 60,000 people are fighting to land a space in a new development opening next year in Kips Bay — even if that space is really, really small.

Carmel Place, a housing development located at 335 E. 27th St., comprises 55 units between 265 and 360 square feet apiece.

“For us, it was really important to demonstrate how small space could be an enhancement to quality of life,” Christopher Bledsoe of Stage 3 Properties, which designed the interiors at Carmel Place, told CNBC.

“An efficiently designed micro-unit is just a nice apartment,” added developer Tobias Oriwol.

Amenities inside the units that make them more user-friendly include a desk that expands into a 12-seat table and a Murphy bed that pulls down over a love seat. They also offer perks not seen in most NYC apartments, such as a dishwasher and a balcony.

Forty percent of the units will have rents set by affordable-housing programs — about $1,500 a month — while the rest will go at market rates, between $2,650 and $3,150 each.

By NYC standards, a four-person household that makes less than $67,120 a year is considered low-income.

Twenty people have applied for market-rate units thus far; more than 60,000 have entered the lottery for the affordable units.

To create Carmel Place, developers had to request a waiver from New York’s 400-square-foot minimum on new apartments, a law set in 1987. Eliminating that minimum would allow buildings with a mix of apartment sizes to rent out smaller studios, though entire micro-unit buildings would still need to request a waiver.

For comparison, the average size of a studio apartment in Manhattan is 550 square feet and costs $2,300 a month, according to Naked Apartments. The typical one-bedroom is 750 square feet and costs $3,000 a month.

=============================
http://nypost.com/2015/12/28/demand-...ff-the-charts/

[mhays]

So 60% have to subsidize the 40%. Some people need subsidies, most people would benefit from a ton of these units hitting the market priced without the need to subsidize the neighbors. They'd be able to cut hundreds from the typical rent.

[uaarkson]

Why can't the city just eminent domain the shit out of all the big box retail in Queens and outer Brooklyn, upzone it and hand it over to private developers? With the affordable units as well?

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by uaarkson

Why can't the city just eminent domain the shit out of all the big box retail in Queens and outer Brooklyn, upzone it and hand it over to private developers? With the affordable units as well?

They do that all the time (see Atlantic Yards, Willits Point, and Jamaica). That's about the most expensive, most time-consuming, least efficient way to build, BTW. Adds 10 years to any plans.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by uaarkson

Why can't the city just eminent domain the shit out of all the big box retail in Queens and outer Brooklyn, upzone it and hand it over to private developers? With the affordable units as well?

In theory, the Constitution. Unfortunately, Kelo v. New London changed that.

[C.]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Just how bad the housing crisis is
=======================

Demand for these tiny NYC apartments is off the charts




=============================
http://nypost.com/2015/12/28/demand-...ff-the-charts/

And the problem is only going to get worse. New York City and the State's housing policies are the main culprits for this dilemma. NYC's zoning, and State Rent stabilization and affordable housing policies have all been failures that has led to few new housing units being built, leaving the poor and middle class being squeezed out.

[llamaorama]

Originally Posted by uaarkson

Why can't the city just eminent domain the shit out of all the big box retail in Queens and outer Brooklyn, upzone it and hand it over to private developers? With the affordable units as well?

What if instead of affordable housing minimums for tax breaks, property taxes helped paid for subsidized mega building projects like those apartment areas in Hong Kong?

[chris08876]

1) Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (PDF): http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/...ext-032216.pdf

2) Zoning for Quality and Affordability (PDF): http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/...ext-032216.pdf

= = = = = = = = = = =


City Council Voted Yes on Mayor’s Major Rezoning: Here’s What It Means for Brooklyn


In the largest city zoning change since 1961, Mayor Bill de Blasio successfully pushed for the City Council to pass two major initiatives last week — Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability.

But how will these changes affect Brooklyn’s residents, historic areas, and transitioning neighborhoods like East New York? Brownstoner talked to a handful of experts to help understand what you can expect.

How will the zoning changes affect historic neighborhoods?

Some residents were concerned the zoning changes could ruin the character of the borough’s unprotected historic nabes — areas in Bed Stuy, PLG, Crown Heights South, Carroll Gardens, Sunset Park, and East New York, for example — by encouraging too-tall, out-of-context development. (The rezoning will have a limited effect on designated areas, because developments and alterations there must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission anyway.)

It is important to note that the new zoning’s height increases are only allowed for developments that include affordable housing. This affordable housing requirement is a major compromise that should help rein in the practice of tearing down historic buildings for new development.

However, Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council, told Brownstoner that the zoning changes “certainly are not going to help retain the character of Brooklyn’s historic neighborhoods.” He continued:

Shorn of everything else, this is an upzoning meant to encourage denser development. Whether or not that is a laudable goal can be reasonably debated but ultimately, it is only because of the strong opposition of community groups that the upzoning is as measured as it is. That does not transform the plan into one for preservation.

Will the zoning changes actually encourage developers to build more affordable housing?

The whole point driving these changes was to maximize the creation of affordable housing in new developments across the city. But if the new requirements are too harsh on developers, they could throttle the financial incentive to build. In some areas, the numbers work out — in others, land values will need to catch up, according to one affordable housing developer we spoke with.

David Kramer, Developer at Hudson Companies, told Brownstoner that the going rents in East New York aren’t currently high enough to attract unsubsidized development:

As land is rezoned, it’s typically a windfall for the land owner, so it’s perfectly appropriate that some of the windfall benefits the city through increasing the supply of affordable housing. East New York is probably not the poster child for MIH since the housing economics of the area make market rate housing very challenging. But some day, whether in East New York or other neighborhoods which don’t have as much market-rate housing today, the time will come when MIH will serve as an incredible resource for the supply of affordable housing without additional capital subsidies from the City.

How else will the rezoning affect neighborhoods like East New York?

One of the first areas up for a possible rezoning under the new regulations, East New York will be a proving ground for de Blasio’s changes. But residents have expressed fears that the proposed rezoning will hasten gentrification and displacement of current residents.

================================
http://www.brownstoner.com/developme...-city-council/

[JDRCRASH]

You guys think we're gonna start seeing those Tokyo nano-sized apartments (with like a bed, and thats literally IT) in SF and NYC soon? Cause it sure feels like that's where we're headed! lol

[chris08876]

I think those are good for people who want to just work and have a place to sleep at the end of the day. I really think micro units, in the 1000's, are what we need. Small living room, kitchen, bed, and so on. Motel room sized essentially will do or something in the range of 400 sq ft.

If we want to get serious about the housing crisis, we need towers that have Hong Kong like density with 1000's of units. We should expect cheaper designs as well. Its a side effect of building at such speed in order to meet the demand.

[Duffstuff129]

It costs the same amount to build the same building no matter what. Whether the construction is subsidized, whether the units are subsidized, whatever. So DeBlasio's plan to me seems like an attempt to look like he's looking out for the city, when in reality, he's subsidizing developers to build a little housing for the poor and making middle-income foot the real bill. Those 'market-rate' units are subsidizing the low-income ones. Supply and demand is just supply and demand.

I think this city will never be affordable for middle-income people. Pretend you're sticking it to the rich, pay lip service to the poor, screw the middle class again (after all, they never fight back!).

[mhays]

It sounds like De Blasio is working for landlords. He's making new units more expensive, so they have less competition and anything without rent control can charge higher rents.

And yes, it's apparently about the poor at the expense of having a middle class.

As for micros, Chris, what about units at 200 sf? They're not for everyone, but they work well for a lot of people.

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by mhays

As for micros, Chris, what about units at 200 sf? They're not for everyone, but they work well for a lot of people.

O I agree. 400 was just a figure thrown out there for sake of argument. I've seen in person units that are 400-500 sq ft, and they seem ideal. 200 is definitely small, but it will do. Units in that range (500) are nice when they have a washer and dryer though. Usually built into some closet space, with a tiny kitchen thats around 7 feet across.

I would like the city to start building micros in mass. Its kinda a shame when you have a housing crisis, and the housing lotteries exceed 80,000 and in some cases 100k for a couple of units. Units such as these are definitely prime candidates for boroughs like Queens. As we have seen in the census, it gained more people than Brooklyn, and I see it continuing the trend, being the forefront of NYC construction in the years coming. Brooklyn I think will slow down, but still be in the 2nd spot. Queens is where many large scale developments are planned. Most of them near the waterfront containing 1000's of units. That and in the Bronx.

My criticism of DeBlasio is that he is not aggressive enough in his figures. 80,000 new and about 110k preserved is laughable. This is not globally competitive. London, now that's a city that has a mayor that's serious about housing. We need a Boris Johnson here.

[Gantz]

Originally Posted by chris08876

London, now that's a city that has a mayor that's serious about housing. We need a Boris Johnson here.

London is double the land area of NYC, but I agree, the city can be building more.

[NYguy]

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/articl...ins-take-shape

City Hall’s new housing policy begins to take shape





By SALLY GOLDENBERG
May. 10, 2016

A new policy that requires below-market-rate housing from developments in rezoned areas is responsible for at least 1,464 units so far this year, including several projects cleared by the City Planning Commission on Monday.

The figure was provided by City Hall, based on a tally of apartments being set aside for low- to moderate-income tenants through the new Mandatory Inclusionary Housing plan that passed the City Council in March.

Some developers got their approval processes underway earlier this year, in anticipation of the new policy de Blasio had been touting since he was candidate in 2013.

In all, it is estimated the policy will be responsible for the creation of 12,000 apartments by 2024 — the final year of the mayor's 10-year housing plan. Many developers believe the total will be hard to achieve without a replacement for 421-a, a popular tax break that lapsed in January.

The first private Mandatory Inclusionary Housing project, a residential tower at 4650 Broadway in Inwood, will provide 67 low-income apartments and 268 market-rate units if a rezoning of the lot is approved by the City Council.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said she negotiated with the developer for a shorter tower — 17 stories, compared to 23, which was in a January proposal. She said she worked with the builder, Acadia Sherman Avenue LLC, to get lower rents in the apartments.

The developer will devote the required affordable housing allotment to tenants making no more than 40 percent of the Area Median Income, which amounts to about $25,000 a year.

Brewer submitted her recommendations on the project to the City Planning Commission on Friday.

"We did the best we could to get the buildings down and to get as much affordable housing as possible," she said in an interview.

The original proposal was too high for the site, which now houses a two-story parking lot and a U-Haul rental facility, she said.

"I think it was too tall. Horrible. Way too tall. And it's right next to a park, so between the two, it's horrific. I don't like tall buildings to start with and they (were going to) block the park, giving shadows to the park," she said. "This should keep the shadow issue at bay."

In getting the developer to agree to a shorter building, Brewer acknowledged she had to give up some affordable and market-rate housing.

"The issue is, how do you keep the height down in Manhattan while you are negotiating affordable housing? That's the challenge," she said.

The developer could not be reached for comment.

"While the steps negotiated between the developers and Borough President Brewer are encouraging, I am listening closely to my community’s concerns over placing so tall a building at the foot of Fort Tryon Park," Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said in an email. "I will continue to get feedback, and aim to hold a town hall meeting in the coming weeks to hear directly from residents about height and affordability at Sherman and Broadway."

The City Planning Commission on Monday certified several projects that would utilize Mandatory Inclusionary Housing if approved by the City Council.

A development at 141 Willoughby St. in Brooklyn would account for 81 below-market-rate units; a rezoning on 147th Street in the Bronx would allow the construction of 165 apartments, of which 41 to 50 would be set aside for low-income tenants; and plans submitted by the St. John's Center Partners would account for 476 affordable apartments. St. John's is committing to pay $100 million for Hudson River Park's Pier 40 in order to get 200,000 square feet of unused development rights from the pier.

Austin Finan, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said, “We’re already seeing this policy starting to shape development across the city. Because of Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, more than a thousand permanently affordable apartments are in the pipeline.”

This Gale Brewer is horrendous.

"I think it was too tall. Horrible. Way too tall. And it's right next to a park, so between the two, it's horrific. I don't like tall buildings to start with and they (were going to) block the park, giving shadows to the park," she said. "This should keep the shadow issue at bay."

In getting the developer to agree to a shorter building, Brewer acknowledged she had to give up some affordable and market-rate housing.

"The issue is, how do you keep the height down in Manhattan while you are negotiating affordable housing? That's the challenge," she said.

NO, for most people, the challenge is affordable housing. This is a woman who is willing to give up affordable units in exchange for shorter buildings. She needs to be sent to retirement. I knew it wouldn't be good when they had her picture in the lead.

[antinimby]

Witchy Gale Brewer.

She isn't young. Why won't she just die already?

[mhays]

I guess The Devil is real!

[chris08876]

"I think it was too tall. Horrible. Way too tall. And it's right next to a park, so between the two, it's horrific. I don't like tall buildings to start with and they (were going to) block the park, giving shadows to the park," she said. "This should keep the shadow issue at bay."

In getting the developer to agree to a shorter building, Brewer acknowledged she had to give up some affordable and market-rate housing.

"The issue is, how do you keep the height down in Manhattan while you are negotiating affordable housing? That's the challenge," she said.

- Gale Brewer

Some strong crack she is smoking.

Keep the height down? Reduce the profits of developers and expect them to cooperate with affordable housing?

Boy, the city picks the worst hag to be the borough president. Maybe the borough of Staten Island would be appropriate, but not Manhattan! That's like kicking Smokey the Bear from his National Park Chairman post and putting an arsonist in that position.

[JDRCRASH]

"I think it was too tall. Horrible. Way too tall. And it's right next to a park, so between the two, it's horrific. I don't like tall buildings to start with and they (were going to) block the park, giving shadows to the park," she said. "This should keep the shadow issue at bay."

Yeah, so umm you live in this place called "New York City" and are the president of its tallest, densest borough, sooo...