Contact Us
If you are a member of the press who would like to learn more about our work, please email press@opennewyork.org.
Coverage
Citylimits: Amen to New Housing? Faith-Based Development Bill Looks to Secure Legislative Blessing
(whole story)
Gothamist: Looking for an 'affordable' 2-bedroom apartment for a family? The odds are against you.
Ben Furnas, a former adviser and policy administrator under Mayor de Blasio who is now active in the housing advocacy group Open New York, lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Park Slope with his wife and two children.
He said it’s hard to find a bigger place with a decent rent, even though he considers his family “very well off.” He noted he wants the city to build more housing of all sizes.
“We've seen very slow or no housing growth, and the city really sort of feels frozen in amber,” Furnas said. “These situations are much, much harder than they otherwise could be if different policy choices were being made.”
Gothamist: NYC Comptroller: Staffing shortage led to fewer affordable homes, longer delays
Nick Berkowitz, a spokesperson for the housing advocacy nonprofit Open New York, said his organization has long advocated for the department to be exempted from city staffing cuts.
"Every new home that is delayed or not built, whether affordable or market rate, further extends New York's affordability crisis,” he wrote in an email.
The New York Times: NY State Could Build Its Own Housing Under a New Bill
The bill has the support of New York City’s influential teachers’ union and the construction trades union as well as Open New York, a nonprofit that advocates for more development.
Annemarie Gray, the executive director of Open New York, said her group was “excited for new forms of social housing to be moving forward in New York.”
NY Carib News: NYC – Mayor Adams Announced Record Number of Affordable Housing Options
“We are glad to see strong progress in the number of affordable homes the city has financed, and we need all government agencies using all available tools to combat the housing affordability crisis,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director, Open New York. “We need more homes of all types across the entire state, and the continued slowdown in private construction underscores the urgent need for state action to ensure every neighborhood is part of the comprehensive solution to create a more inclusive, affordable New York for all.”
The New York Times: When Will New York Solve Its Housing Crisis? Probably Not This Year.
Even some of the strongest supporters of Ms. Hochul’s broader housing initiatives concede it might take a multiyear effort to complete all of them. Annemarie Gray, the executive director of Open New York, a nonprofit that supports housing development, said that smaller, pro-growth measures that “broaden the coalitions and momentum towards larger reforms” made the most sense now.
Ms. Gray said 2023 was the first year in decades that state politicians had seriously debated “pro-housing reforms with real accountability.”
“That momentum is a big step compared to where the conversation was even two years ago,” she said.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle - Tension in Park Slope Over Proposed Highrises
Proponents claim an estimated 240 housing units, with 60 affordable, could be constructed if the City Council approves owner Arrow Linen's request to lift height restrictions on its block, while detractors believe the complex would dwarf surrounding townhouses, damaging the area's character, and cause disruption for nearby Park Slopers.
Opposition group Arrow Action says they support affordable housing, but want it to be in buildings sized to match the area - a plan pro-development group Open New York members say this would generate far fewer opportunities for new residents to move to the neighborhood.
New York Focus - Park Slope Neighbors Seek to Block New Apartment Buildings on Industrial Site
Some neighborhood residents support the proposal, like Ben Furnas, a board member of the pro-development group Open New York, which says it has collected over 700 signatures on a petition in favor of the project.
“It feels like a nice opportunity to build something that wouldn’t require the displacement of neighborhood residents,” said Furnas, who rents an apartment a few blocks away from the site. “I resent the idea that we should deprive dozens of families the chance to live in our neighborhood because we don’t want to see an apartment building of a height that is common across the city.”
Harlem World Magazine - Mayor Adams Approves A Bill For A Fair Housing Framework To Promote More Equitable Housing Production
“Thank you to Speaker Adams, the City Council, and the Adams administration for signing into law the Fair Housing Framework. Implementing targets for more equitable development is an important first step towards meeting our housing needs in every neighborhood in New York City,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director, Open New York. “Making good on these values means doing even more next year. We look forward to working together on the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative and the state legislative session to make sure every level of government is using its full powers to ensure all communities are part of the solution to making New York fair and affordable for all.”
The Real Deal - The Daily Dirt: Feds call out local housing veto
I asked Open New York’s Annemarie Gray about HUD’s actions in Chicago. She was encouraged by the agency’s attention to an exclusionary housing policy. She noted that in New York, housing projects struggle to gain support, and some developers do not even bother going through the city’s land use process because of the veto threat.
“The problem is the projects that are never proposed in the highest resourced areas because of the assumption that they will not be approved,” she said.
City Limits - Legislation Will Set Affordable Housing Targets for NYC Neighborhoods
“As we focus on local improvements, it's also crucial to recognize that New York's housing crisis is a statewide concern,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing organization Open New York, said in a statement in support of the Fair Housing Framework Thursday. “Meaningful change demands the engagement of both the Governor and State Legislature, as they have the tools to ensure accountability in meeting equitable housing targets.”
The Real Deal - City Council OK’s five-year housing targets
Pro-development group Open New York praised the ‘fair housing framework,’ but emphasized the need for further action.
“As we focus on local improvements, it’s also crucial to recognize that New York’s housing crisis is a statewide concern,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, said in a statement. “Meaningful change demands the engagement of both the governor and state legislature, as they have the tools to ensure accountability in meeting equitable housing targets.”
Brownstoner - ‘Blank Check’ to Developers or Chance to Curb Displacement: Locals Comment on City of Yes
While a majority of speakers were against the plan — a number of whom were from central Brooklyn — there was a significant showing in support of the proposed zoning overhaul, predominantly from pro-housing group Open New York. Many of the group’s members called for the proposals to go further, especially around increased density in transit-rich areas.
One Open New York member, who owns a house in Flatbush, said she had been in the city for 12 years and spent the last eight in Brooklyn, and was speaking because she was “worried that my friends, family, and neighbors are being forced to leave because of the cost of living.”
“I’m incredibly fortunate to have the stability of owning my home and I want to make sure that we’re creating ample new housing opportunities throughout the city so that everyone, regardless of whether they own or rent, can equitably afford to live or stay in New York without being rent burdened.”
She said like many in her neighborhood, her family does not have a car, and building more dense housing around public transportation while eliminating parking mandates “creates a sustainable future for both our community and for the world in the face of climate change.”
Another member, who is a renter in Crown Heights, said at the heart of the city’s housing and homelessness crisis is a housing shortage. “We haven’t built enough homes to have a healthy housing market for the people that live and work in New York; this gives landlords leverage to jack up rents and maintain substandard or outright appalling housing conditions and this is not normal: In a healthy housing market, rents do not rise as fast as they have in New York relative to incomes,” she said
The City - Village and Park Slope Housing Push Poses ‘City of Yes’ Test vs. NIMBY
But almost immediately, Brooklyn members of the pro-housing group Open New York began circulating a petition in support of the Arrow project, which as of this week had collected more than 370 signatures.
“There are always going to be loud voices that are going to say no to proposals to build more housing,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York. ‘We are also seeing a lot of people stand up and say “We need this.”
Meanwhile, local residents who are Open New York members are making sure officials hear another side of the story.
“Windsor Terrace and South Slope have become increasingly unaffordable in recent years, and it is imperative that we come together to ensure that housing growth keeps up with demand,” their petition says. “By standing in the way of new homes, we perpetuate the displacement that is occurring in our community and make our neighborhoods less inclusive and welcoming.”
“More and more Council people and state legislators are realizing there are just not enough housing options in New York,” said Gray.
“This is not Gowanus, which has massive, underutilized industrial areas," said Andrew Fine, the policy director at the YIMBY group Open New York, referring to the recently rezoned Brooklyn neighborhood, which currently has thousands of market-rate and affordable apartments under construction. “That was never the intent here or expectation here. It's going to be more of a stream instead of a river.”
City & State - Q&A: Building YIMBY support for affordable housing in New York City
(whole story)
City & State - First Read Oct. 12
Nick Berkowitz started working with Open New York as its director of communications and digital strategy.
New York Nonprofit News - Building YIMBY support for affordable housing in NYC
(whole story)
Bloomberg’s CityLab - Can NYC Ease Housing Costs With ‘City of Yes’ Proposal?
“We’re now seeing the mayor, the speaker, the governor and so many city and state legislators start to really be on the same page about why building more housing is so essential to addressing the housing affordability crisis,” says Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, a grassroots group that supports new housing. “They’re starting to lead on more ambitious proposals to address the shortage than we’ve seen in a long time.”
Hellgate - Eric Adams’s Housing Plan Has Some Good Ideas Without Much Urgency
With the mayor's announcement, some housing advocates were thrilled. “If passed, every neighborhood in our city will finally take part in solving our dire housing shortage,” wrote Open New York's Annemarie Gray.”
City Limits - Mayor Adams Pitches Zoning for Less Parking, More Housing
“Zoning is a critical piece of the puzzle,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-development group Open New York, following Thursday’s announcement. “It is also not everything.” Her group was a major proponent of a statewide policy pitched last year by Gov. Kathy Hochul that would have required increased development across the state, with the potential for state override if localities failed to build. It, too, fizzled in the face of opposition from near-city suburbs, as well as less dense parts of New York City.
“We need an approach that also recognizes that you need protections for tenants that are facing problems right now,” Gray added. Her group supports a Good Cause Eviction proposal in Albany, backed by tenant organizations and derided by developers, which would expand defenses against eviction and steep rent increases.”
Bloomberg - NYC Mayor Aims to Bring ‘a Little More Housing’ to Neighborhoods
“The proposed changes to New York City’s outdated zoning code are comprehensive and common-sense measures to encourage housing growth,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of pro-development group Open New York, said in a statement. “If passed, every neighborhood in the city will finally take part in solving our dire housing shortage.”
Streetsblog - City of Yes Yes Yes! Adams Calls for Elimination of Parking Mandates on ALL New Housing
In addition to doing away with parking minimums, the Adams administration will also encourage transit-oriented development — a policy that an overwhelming 83 percent of voters said they support, according to a survey conducted back in March by Open New York and Regional Plan Association's New York Neighbors Coalition.
Albany Times Union - Commentary: Rochester's efforts to address housing crunch offer lessons for other cities
(whole article)
New York Magazine - The Menace of the Megamansion Conversion – August 2023
Historic preservationist Adam Brodheim studied city records of row houses over the decades to pinpoint how many units had been lost due to single-family renovations and found that in some wealthy neighborhoods like the Upper West Side, such combinations erased the gains made by building new housing over the past decade.
The City - NYC Lost 100K Homes in Apartment-to-House Conversions – August 2023
Brodheim, who is a volunteer member of the pro-housing advocacy group Open New York, agrees, saying his research is not meant to demonize conversions, but to emphasize another way the housing crisis has been exacerbated. “Trying to restrict that activity is not necessarily beneficial because there is a demand for it. What this illustrates is that you just have to build a lot more housing. You have to make up for the fact that people are doing this,” he said.
The Real Deal - Development slows decisively in Manhattan, and 30% citywide – August 2023
“As the data shows over a long period of time, we’re just at low numbers and we’re not building nearly enough housing,” Open New York policy director Andrew Fine told the News.
Politico New York - Going town by town on the paltry housing growth in the suburbs – August 2023
The vast majority of localities in the metro region fell short of the housing production targets that would have been required by Hochul’s plan — and some added just a handful of new housing units over a decade-long period, according to a spreadsheet compiled by a member of the advocacy group Open New York.
…
“There’s just really anemic growth throughout the area, and this tool lets you really dig into that,” said Adam Brodheim, upper Manhattan chapter leader for the organization, which pushes policies to boost housing growth. “You can look a town up and see, oh, in the last ten years, they’ve permitted seven new units of housing. It makes it real in a way that some of these top line numbers don’t.”
New York State of Politics - New York State of Politics 7/31 Newsletter – July 2023
Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, joined NY1 political reporter Bobby Cuza on “Inside City Hall” Friday to discuss Hochul’s housing push.
Gray previously served in city government, including as senior adviser on land use in the mayor’s office.
Bloomberg - Hochul Targets NY Housing Shortage With Developer Incentives – July 2023
“These actions are necessary, important, and yet insufficient to address the scale of our housing crisis,” Open New York said in a statement. “Nonetheless, we are pleased to see the governor do what she can to make up some ground.”
Commercial Observer - Hochul Issues Executive Orders to Tackle New York’s Housing Crisis – July 2023
But tenant advocates said the governor must re-engage with the legislature to craft policies that will meet the state’s vast housing needs.
“These actions are necessary, important, and yet insufficient to address the scale of our housing crisis,” Annemarie Gray, executive director for Open New York, a grassroots housing organization, said. “While we welcome these actions, New York will only see changes that match the magnitude of the crisis when the governor and the state legislature come together to pass major legislation”
Newsday - Gov. Hochul announces $650M plan to encourage affordable housing – July 2023
“These actions are necessary, important, and yet insufficient to address the scale of our housing crisis,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the housing advocate group Open New York. “Nonetheless, we are pleased to see the governor do what she can to make up some ground after Albany’s disastrous and inactive legislative session on housing.”
Patch - From 'Hellhole' To Homes - Hochul Unveils Housing Plan Redo In NYC – July 2023
Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, called the actions “necessary, important, and yet insufficient to address the scale of our housing crisis.”
“The reality is that few municipalities will take advantage of the new 'pro-housing' designations, but it is important to call politicians’ bluffs and raise awareness of the limited data that municipalities share on housing as a way of hiding their own refusal to build,” Gray said in a statement. “We hope that elected officials who supported an incentives-only approach during the last legislative session pay close attention to which localities do and do not step forward in response to the Governor’s call to action.”
Gray said she hoped Hochul and lawmakers will come together to pass major housing reforms.
BK Reader - 'Your voice is needed': Affordable Housing Education Series Aims to Empower East New York Residents – July 2023
The event featured a panel discussion with Speliotis, Bill Wilkins, executive director of LDC ENY, and Asia Thomas, director of organizing at Open New York, with remarks from Assembly Member Nikki Lucas.
The Real Deal - Real estate, construction-backed candidates prevail in City Council primaries – June 2023
Pro-housing group Open New York had endorsed Salaam, citing his support of pro-housing zoning reform and good cause eviction. Jordan dropped out of the race last month after it became clear that the primary would be a referendum on her role in killing One45, a 917-unit apartment building that she had criticized as not affordable enough for her constituents. The developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, has since revived his proposal, which will likely come before Salaam next year.
“The votes are in: fighting for abundant housing is good policy AND good politics,” Open New York tweeted on Wednesday.
The Real Deal - Targeting lawmakers, landlords who “benefit from a housing shortage” – June 2023
(Whole interview)
New York Focus - Did Landlord Legislators Doom New York’s Housing Hopes? – June 2023
Ben Carlos Thypin, a real estate broker and co-founder of the pro-development group Open New York, supplied New York Focus with a list of 34 Democratic legislators who have publicly opposed the compact. (Thypin does not currently have a leadership role with Open New York, and conducted the research in a personal capacity.)
New York Post - Albany goes into overtime with marathon voting session expected to last into the weekend – June 2023
Thousands of units might have gotten built had the Legislature approved an extension of the 421a tax abatement for real estate developments for projects already underway though the exact number is hard to say, according to Andrew Fine policy director at the housing advocacy group Open New York.
Other ideas like boosting tenant protections and unlocking limits on the legal Floor Area Ratio in New York City to allow buildings to pack more units into the five boroughs by allowing taller residential buildings.
“There were a lot of different bills at the end of session that could have produced better, more efficient, and less expensive homes over time, and the Legislature chose to do none of them,” Fine said.
Albany Times Union - Housing plan falls apart last minute as Democratic leaders point fingers – June 2023
Open New York, a group that supports both good cause and housing development, expressed frustration with both sides.
“While Albany is spending the day finger-pointing their way through failure, it is beyond clear that there is more than enough blame to be spread around,” Annemarie Gray, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
Reason - In State Legislatures, Targeted Bills and Bipartisan Support Were Key To Passing Housing Reforms – June 2023
That saw real estate interests, who would otherwise be on the side of the new supply promised by the housing compact, devote most of their energies to fighting the good cause eviction bill. That put them on the opposite side of the state's central YIMBY organization, Open New York, which endorsed the housing compact and good cause eviction.
Albany Times Union - 'Clean Slate' and housing top issues in final week of session – June 2023
Housing advocacy groups, such as Open New York, continue to push for “good cause” to pass. Andrew Fine, Open New York’s policy director, is also supporting legislation by state Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, that could help lower the costs of building small apartment buildings and discourage sprawl development. “Stuff like that is not sexy, but it is really important in terms of solving the housing crisis,” Fine said. Open New York is also seeking an extension of New York City’s ‘421a’ tax program that intends to incentivize builders to create “affordable housing”
Business Insider – Democrats in Texas and New York are blocking efforts to build cheaper housing while also making life more difficult for Airbnb landlords – May 2023
"There is a very loud minority of New Yorkers who call their legislators every day to complain about the possibility that the state would require housing to get built," Andrew Fine, policy director at the pro-housing group Open New York, told Insider. "And many politicians are scared of those voters."
Politico New York – Playbook, Tuesday May 23 – May 2023
COUNCIL ENDORSEMENTS: The housing advocacy group Open New York has endorsed six City Council candidates ahead of the primaries next month — five incumbents, and Yusef Salaam, who’s running in a competitive race for the seat currently held by Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan, who recently announced she won’t seek reelection.
The organization, which advocates for policies to boost residential development, is also backing Council Members Carlina Rivera, Keith Powers, Erik Bottcher, Shaun Abreu and Pierina Sanchez. "Each of our endorsed candidates is committed to ending the housing crisis by creating new housing while protecting tenants, and if elected, will use their position to make change at the city level while advocating for state reform," the group wrote on Twitter.
Crain’s Editorial – To get communities to pull their weight on housing, City Council should do more than nudge – May 2023
Andrew Fine, policy director of the pro-housing group Open New York, told reporter Nick Garber that the City Council lacks the ability to impose construction mandates through regular legislation. Instead, it would need to come through a citywide zoning text amendment, a charter revision to grant the council that power, or through a state law.
Daily News – Council Speaker unveils bill that would set housing goals for all NYC neighborhoods – May 2023
Andrew Fine of Open New York described the legislation as a “great first step” but added “there must be real consequences for noncompliance if growth targets are to make a significant difference.”
Gotham Gazette – Hochul Gambled On A Late Budget; Did It Pay Off? – May 2023
"Albany’s failure to address the housing crisis in the State budget represents an unacceptable abdication of responsibility that will leave New Yorkers struggling," said Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, a pro-housing advocacy group, in a statement.
Bloomberg – Housing-Strapped States Reach for a Fraught Fix: the ‘Builder’s Remedy’ – May 2023
"Mandatory requirements and real consequences have better success than places with voluntary policies," says Andrew Fine, policy director for the housing advocacy group Open New York. "Voluntary programs have produced very little housing."
Crain's Editorial – State and local officials should keep the conversation about increased housing production going – May 2023
Pro-housing group Open New York, for example, has expanded its focus and recently launched chapters on Long Island and in Westchester. This, said policy director Andrew Fine, could start to change what politicians in those areas hear from their constituents about new developments.
"Our goal is to organize those people and to make those voices heard and keep on getting individual projects off the ground to show that this is good for communities, is not scary, creates a lot of benefits and brings in great new neighbors," he said.
NBC 4 – Video – May 2023
“Logan Phares: Logan Phares is political director for Open New York, a grassroots group pushing for more housing.
'By failing to enact bold housing reforms in the budget, our elected officials have most likely locked us into another year of the status quo.'"
City Limits – Late Session Goals Emerge As Housing Policy Fizzles Out of NY Budget – April 2023
Andrew Fine, policy director of the pro-development group Open New York, said he’d like to see the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) instigate dense housing projects on the limited land that it owns around train stations.
"There are things [Hochul] can do without the legislature, but long-term there has to be a reckoning on this, and that will likely take legislation next year," he said.
The City – How Hochul’s Housing Dream Died: Backlash Surged Beyond the ’Burbs – April 2023
"There is finally an alignment about why building housing of all types is required, and people are united behind the idea that supply is an issue," said Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, a pro-housing, ‘yes in my backyard’ advocacy organization.
"No one has a clear definitive strategy that works, and there is a lot of work to do on strategy and proposals," said Gray. "It is clear that you need to build a bigger coalition, but we knew this was going to take a long time."
The Real Deal – Hochul’s housing plan shelved as other proposals hang in the balance – April 2023
Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, emphasized that the budget is not final. Lawmakers passed another extension on Monday, which is set to expire Thursday. Negotiations over bail reform dragged on for weeks, and the terms of any housing deal could similarly fluctuate as lawmakers work to reach a deal.
Still, the reemergence of the Housing Compact in negotiations would likely require a significant change in the governor’s mandates or her stance on incentives, which probably would have happened by now if they were ever going to.
Gray said an incentive-based version of the Housing Compact would not lead to real housing opportunities because the goals need to be enforceable.
"It has to be a mandate-based framework to be worth passing," she said in an interview. "If that is not possible, then we will fight on. We’re not going anywhere."
Gotham Gazette – The High Stakes of Hochul's Housing Compact – April 2023
A Slingshot Strategies poll, commissioned by the pro-development group Open New York and released March 1, found that 64% of registered voters support the governor’s overall housing agenda, which also had 66% in support in Westchester and Putnam Counties — two of the key suburban battleground areas where the push for more housing can be particularly fraught.”
“The governor really needs to hold the line and stay very strong on the proposal for the housing compact," said Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York and a former New York City housing and planning official, in a phone interview. "[W]e need a statewide framework that has to be real, required, enforceable, permanent; that actually really makes sure every part of the state adds housing opportunities. And that has to be at the center of the proposal."
Gray and others like Fee do say that the Compact could be improved and negotiated in different ways, and perhaps there could be more flexibility in the density requirements and local control.”
Gray from Open New York echoed that concern. "We absolutely have to do this in the budget," she said. "We don't have time to waste with people sleeping on the street, with people getting displaced right now, and with people just really not nearly having enough housing opportunities. And we're really supportive of tenant protections as part of a package as well, but it's just the act of taking meaningful steps to solve the housing crisis. You can't wait another year."
“This is the first governor that has prioritized housing in the way she has, prioritized zoning reform and really started to tackle these issues in the way that she has," Gray said. "I absolutely think that this has all of the ingredients to be a real legacy for her.”
The New York Times – NIMBYs Threaten a Plan to Build More Suburban Housing – March 2023
One survey of state residents, paid for by Open New York and other pro-housing groups and conducted last month by Slingshot Strategies, found significant support for building more housing in the suburbs.
City & State – The Legislature doesn’t want to force suburbs to build more housing. Advocates are calling them on it. – March 2023
Andrew Fine, policy director at the pro-development group Open New York, said he was disappointed to see the Legislature remove the enforcement mechanisms in favor of incentives for local leaders, a method that he said doesn’t work. "We would expect the growth rate of new supply would be very low if that were the final outcome," Fine said of the Legislature’s plan. A new study from the Furman Center supports Fine’s assessment that an incentives only housing plan won’t produce sufficient housing. He also noted that legislative leaders did not include a replacement to the 421-a developer tax break to incentivize housing production in New York City, a necessity for roughly half of the 800,000 units of housing Hochul wants to build – according to her own plan.
But Fine said evidence shows that incentive programs like the Legislature proposed don’t work. He said states like Massachusetts, Connecticut and California have tried that approach for decades, and it hasn’t panned out. "Towns have just not taken those states up on it, they’ve just said, 'No thanks to the money and we’ll keep our zoning the way it is,’” Fine said. "We’ve seen towns across the country just reject the premise of these bribes for zoning reform.” He said enforcement mechanisms, like the state stepping in to override zoning laws, are necessary to achieve even minimal levels of growth. "Everywhere this happens… many places are noncompliant, and without consequences, they will remain noncompliant," Fine said.
City Limits – Housing Policy Faultlines Emerge Ahead Of Final Albany Budget Deal – March 2023
Andrew Fine, policy director for the pro-housing group Open New York, condemned the one-house resolutions Tuesday, calling them "extremely weak" and the product of misinformation about the Housing Compact.
"At our meetings in Albany there’s the impression that this proposal takes away all zoning rights, or every town will have to build massive apartment buildings," Fine said. Instead, he continued, local governments would be able to "choose how to grow," and would only face an override if they declined to take any action to loosen zoning.
New York Daily News – NY Dem lawmakers want incentives, tenant protections added to Hochul housing plan – March 2023
While opponents have painted the plan as a top-down approach, Open New York policy director Andrew Fine said incentives aren’t enough to spark new developments in areas resistant to change.
"In the face of the first real pro-housing proposal that we’ve seen at the state level in decades, this is the legislature making empty statements about the housing crisis, then essentially ignoring it — closing their eyes and hoping it goes away," Fine said.
PIX 11 – Can NYC truly build its way out of the housing crisis – February 2023
“With the depth and scale of the housing affordability crisis, we just need an all-hands of on deck all, comprehensive approach," said Annemarie Gray. Gray was a senior advisor for land use to the last two mayors and is currently the executive director of Open New York.
Open New York favors many reforms that historically have been politically difficult— like removing parking minimums in new buildings, ending all single-family zoning in New York City, and legalizing basement and garage apartments. However, the group also said there needs to be more up-zoning or allowing taller buildings, stronger tenant protections, and much more.
THE REAL DEAL – Brooklyn project drama tests city’s housing push – February 2023
“We cannot solve the housing crisis if the people in the backyard of the project can veto the entire proposal,” Fine added. “Sites like this are about as good as you can get in a built-out, residential neighborhood.”
GOTHAM GAZETTE – Officials, Advocates Analyze Implications of Hochul's 'Housing Compact' on New York City – February 2023
Gray from Open New York said the lesson New York should take from other jurisdictions is creating strong mechanisms for enforcing the housing targets by allowing nonprofits to file lawsuits through a private right of action and stiff penalties for localities that delay projects on purpose. “That was something that we think is really important to get stronger so that this framework actually is effective, and there's accountability,” she said.
NY1 – Advocate breaks down Hochul's housing agenda – January 2023
Annemarie Gray, executive director of the housing nonprofit Open New York and a former housing advisor to Mayor Eric Adams, joined Bobby Cuza on “Inside City Hall” Thursday night to discuss Hochul’s housing vision, the growing affordability crisis around the city and state, as well as the group’s own policy agenda.
THE JOURNAL NEWS/LOHUD.COM – NY governor wants to turbocharge housing. She's targeting these areas for new units. – January 2023
Annemarie Gray, the Executive Director of Open New York, a pro-housing advocacy group, endorsed Hochul's plan and said the state should ‘increase housing supply with tenant protections and (use) the full power of the state to keep local municipalities accountable for meeting housing goals.’
‘We need both carrots and sticks to kick housing growth into a higher gear and finally bring New York out of the era of scarcity and sky-high rents,’ Gray said.
BLOOMBERG CITYLAB – New York State Joins the YIMBY Fray – January 2023
“The pro-housing movement has for years been pushing for supply to be part of the conversation, for all housing growth to be considered a necessity alongside affordable housing, subsidized housing and tenant protections,” says Andrew Fine, policy director for Open New York, a nonprofit advocacy organization that supports abundant housing. “In New York we spend a lot of money on affordable housing. We have strong but incomplete tenant protections. But we’ve really had no action from the state on zoning reforms. This is the beginning of the conversation.”
PATCH – Hochul's 2023 'State Of The State': 3 Big Takeaways For NYC – January 2023
Annemarie Gray, the new executive director for Open New York, said that Hochul's proposals would help build much-needed new housing. "But we need those tools to be as strong as possible—and we can and must go further," Gray said in a statement.
"That means complementing efforts to increase housing supply with tenant protections and using the full power of the state to keep local municipalities accountable for meeting housing goals. Anything short of that simply won’t meet the moment."
ALBANY TIMES UNION – Building up to the State of the State: Hochul looks to 800,000 new units – January 2023
Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, said the group came out in favor of the policy as part of a broader set of goals that include building a substantial amount of additional housing.
In a way, it can help as a lifeline during a crisis point, with hopes that building enough additional housing will normalize the marketplace, bringing rents back to more affordable costs.
‘We can walk and chew gum at the same time,’ Gray said. ‘It all comes back to that we desperately need more housing supply.’
Gray believes Hochul has been ‘saying all of the right’ things related to housing policy.
She views accessory-dwelling units — which turned into a massively controversial policy point last year after Republicans previewed their political strength in the New York City suburbs — as a need.”
NEWSDAY – Long Island needs to produce more housing, advocates say – December 2022
"We don’t build enough of all kinds of housing as a result of exclusionary zoning and land-use practices. The suburbs, in particular, are not doing their part,” said Annemarie Gray, a former housing adviser to Mayor Eric Adams and executive director of Open New York, a pro-housing group. “We have a regional transit system. We have a regional economy. We don’t plan for housing opportunity at a regional level.”
CRAIN'S – Series of Major Housing Approvals, Announcements Mark Progress in Adams’ ‘City of Yes’ – December 2022
“More and more elected officials from across the ideological spectrum understand that we need to build more housing to make New York more affordable,” said Logan Phares, political director at pro-housing group Open New York. “Building more housing has always been the right thing, but now supporting housing growth is also the politically wise decision.”
CNN – A New York City neighborhood has scored a legal victory in its decade-long fight to protect a community garden – November 2022
“Open New York, a grassroots group advocating for affordable housing, echoed HPD’s position. ‘Housing delayed is housing denied, and we simply can’t afford to let a small number of anti-housing voices block 100 percent affordable housing in a well-resourced neighborhood,’ said executive director Annemarie Gray.”
HELL GATE – New York’s Suburbs Now Have Better Transit. So How About Some More Housing? – October 2022
"We plan transportation at a regional level. We have to plan housing at a regional level," Annemarie Gray, the executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York, told Hell Gate.
Gray, who most recently served as a land use advisor to Mayor Eric Adams, said that TOD was something Open New York was "definitely going to be paying a lot of attention to" when Albany resumes session in January. The calls for housing reform nationwide, added Gray, hastens the need to act. "There's a broad consensus that we have a really big problem on our hands, right?" she said. "So it comes down to exactly which solutions we can really pass soon."
NEW YORK FOCUS – City Council Moves Forward With Gowanus Rezoning After Slashing Affordable Housing – October 2022
Logan Phares, political director of the pro-development group Open New York, commented after the council vote: “This backroom deal makes it extremely unlikely that any affordable housing will be built.”
NEW YORK 1 – Bruckner rezoning moves to full council vote – October 2022
“Today, lawmakers on the City Council’s land use committee made the right call by approving new housing that New Yorkers need and deserve,” Logan Phares, Open New York’s political director, wrote in a statement. “The affordability crisis affects the Bronx, the city, and the entire state, and this decision that will allow for 349 new apartments, including 168 affordable ones, is one of many that New York’s elected officials need to take every step to make sure everyone can afford safe, stable and secure housing."
POLITICO – Adams' planned rezoning tweaks garner mixed reviews – October 2022
“These reviews have been used by these groups over and over again, and it seems like it’s one of the first things they go to in these lawsuits to block progress,” said Logan Phares, political director of Open New York.
NEW YORK TIMES – A Housing Crisis Has More Politicians Saying Yes to Developers – October 2022
“I really do think things are shifting,” said Annemarie Gray, a former land-use adviser for the city who is now the executive director of Open New York, a pro-housing group. “Housing politics both in the city and the country are changing.”
BRONX TIMES – Housing group Open New York ‘unlikely’ to endorse Velázquez again over Bruckner rezoning stance – September 2022
Logan Phares, political director for Open New York, said in an interview with the Bronx Times that members of the group have been “disappointed” by Velázquez’s statements against the project. According to Phares, if the representative votes against the project, another endorsement would be “very unlikely.”
“She was interested in building more housing, building affordable housing, and so that’s what we’re interested in,” Phares said. “That’s what we want to see from a candidate. So obviously we would expect that candidate, if elected, to uphold what they promised in our endorsement questionnaire.”
“We’re also seeing a lot of council members who are kind of coming forward as wanting to be champions on these issues and that is obviously something that we will be taking into consideration in our next endorsement,” Phares said. “The next council races are right around the corner.”
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Veteran housing adviser to Mayor Adams leaving for advocacy job amid NYC affordability crisis – September 2022
Having served in a variety of housing-focused public sector capacities for nearly a decade, Gray said entering the advocacy sphere is “the best use of my energy.” She also did not shy away from affirming that an aspect of her new job will be to hold her old boss’ feet to the fire.
“[Adams] has put a lot of intentions out there that are totally in the right direction. It’s early, and I’m really excited to push to keep all elected officials across the board accountable,” said Gray.
POLITICO – City Hall aide to head up pro-housing group – September 2022
In a city where even small housing proposals can become firestorms of controversy, a burgeoning pro-housing group is looking to change the politics around development…“I've been doing this work from the inside for almost two years now…And I just really fundamentally believe that what's really important and necessary now is that we build a broader coalition and create the kind of political environment that can finally tackle this crisis.”
PATCH – Amid Affordability Crisis, NYC Housing Adviser Opts For Advocacy – September 2022
Gray argues advocates need to build coalitions that push for change at a broader scope that encompasses both the local and state level, she said. "I think Open New York has been just really at the forefront of how we push these issues of a progressive approach to housing, including creating all forms of it…And really addressing the rent pressures and housing instability that New Yorkers are feeling and really not being shy about showing up and really fighting for the types of projects we need to see more of."
CITY & STATE NEW YORK – Can Adams’ citywide affordable housing plan finally tear down the NIMBY wall? – June 2022
“The housing market doesn’t stop at neighborhood lines,” [Thomas] said…“The mayor’s setting out a citywide approach is a step in the right direction.”
Hells Kitchen Residents Oppose Housing for HIV / AIDS Survivors Slated for MTA Parking Lot
STREETSBLOG NYC – Hells Kitchen Residents Oppose Housing for HIV / AIDS Survivors Slated for MTA Parking Lot – May 2022
Residents of Hells Kitchen are pushing back against an affordable housing project that would cater to survivors of HIV/AIDS because they say the units are too affordable — and want to maintain the charm of the block. In this case, a parking lot.
Build New York City for People, Not Cars
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Build New York City for People, Not Cars – (op-ed) – May 2022
A pro-housing group is warning that a court-ordered redistricting plan would create a NIMBY super district in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In comments submitted to the special master overseeing the redistricting process, Open New York complains that the new 10th Congressional District ‘strings together many of New York City’s whitest and most affluent ‘historic districts.’
New York Playbook, May 20, 2022
POLITICO – New York Playbook, May 20, 2022 – May 2022
A pro-housing group is warning that a court-ordered redistricting plan would create a NIMBY super district in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In comments submitted to the special master overseeing the redistricting process, Open New York complains that the new 10th Congressional District ‘strings together many of New York City’s whitest and most affluent ‘historic districts.’
The 2022 Real Estate Power 100
CITY & STATE NEW YORK – The 2022 Real Estate Power 100 – February 2022
A strong proponent of the contentious, recently approved plan to rezone SoHo and NoHo – which could bring as many as 900 affordable housing units to one of New York City’s wealthiest neighborhoods… [Open New York] backed several winning candidates last summer – including New York City Council Member Pierina Sanchez – and hired Asia Thomas as director of organizing and Logan Phares as political director.
New York OKs least new housing of any city in Northeast
NEW YORK POST – New York OKs least new housing of any city in Northeast – January 2022
No wonder the rent is too damn high. New York City approved less new housing per resident than any other Northeast city in 2020… [Fewer] homes means a tighter market. A tighter market means higher housing costs, whether rents or prices for homebuyers.
New York's Holiday Housing Wishlist
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – New York’s Holiday Housing Wishlist – (op-ed) – December 2021
The incoming mayor has embraced this mission to “rapidly build new affordable housing…[and] up-zone wealthier areas where we can provide more affordable units.” It’s an exciting commitment, so here’s a holiday wish list of what he could do to give New Yorkers more housing as our gift this year.
A Family of Three Making $42,000 Will Be Able to Live in SoHo
CURBED – A Family of Three Making 42,000 Will Be Able to Live in Soho – December 2021
Instead of a neighborhood that only the wealthy and those who moved there during the Carter administration can afford, Soho could actually be a place where a retail worker employed at one of the area’s luxurious shops can finish their shift and walk a couple of blocks back home.
City Council tweaks Soho rezoning, assuring its passage
THE REAL DEAL – City Council tweaks Soho rezoning, assuring its passage – December 2021
For the first time, we’re seeing what happens when the system doesn’t cave to parochial special interests committed to an unworkable status quo: Wealthy neighborhoods are being required to build their fair share and New York City is finally on a path to abundant, affordable, and equitable housing.
At Soho rezoning's 11th hour, housing may be cut
THE REAL DEAL – At Soho rezoning’s 11th hour, housing may be cut – December 2021
“Housing is a community benefit in itself. It shouldn’t be bartered away as a negotiating ploy,” said Will Thomas, executive director of Open New York, a yimby group that has called for less commercial space in the rezoning proposal.
New York Targets Affluent Neighborhoods in Push for Affordable Housing
THE NEW YORK TIMES – New York Targets Affluent Neighborhoods in Push for Affordable Housing – November 2021
The City Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the first of two proposals that could bring thousands of new homes — including many affordable ones — to relatively white and rich neighborhoods.
City tweaks Soho rezoning proposal, but critics remain unimpressed
THE REAL DEAL – City tweaks Soho rezoning proposal, but critics remain unimpressed – September 2021
The fate of the proposed Soho and Noho rezoning hinges on whether enough changes can be made to satisfy affordable housing concerns. Last week, City Planning suggested a few tweaks to the plan, including decreasing the amount of commercial space permitted in certain areas.
End Parking Minimums Now! Analysis: Zoning Rule is Choking the City With Cars
STREETSBLOG NYC – End Parking Minimums Now! Analysis: Zoning Rule is Choking the City With Cars – August 2021
The city must do away with an antiquated zoning rule that forces developers to include parking spaces in many new developments across the city — a requirement that leads to more congestion, more pollution, less affordable housing and higher construction costs that are passed along to tenants, experts say.
Smoke & mirrors coming from SoHo
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Smoke & mirrors coming from SoHo – (op-ed) – July 2021
The proposed rezoning of SoHo and NoHo, if passed, would create the opportunity for a projected 900 families to access affordable homes in two neighborhoods with excellent schools, transit and job access — but is being bitterly opposed by people who are resorting to misrepresentations and hostility toward dedicated public servants.
Updated proposal for Atlantic Avenue rezoning still raises questions
BROOKLYN PAPER – Updated proposal for Atlantic Avenue rezoning still raises questions – May 2021
"If we start talking about reducing densities, you’re likely going to get to a situation where there are less affordable units, less market-rate units, less housing."
Does my neighborhood determine my future?
VOX, GLAD YOU ASKED – Does My Neighborhood Determine My Future? – April 2021
A city planning report that attracted suspicion from many SoHo and NoHo residents has finally been released, boasting a list of recommendations that include the promotion of affordable housing in the notoriously pricey neighborhoods and the legalization of more ground floor retail.
In long awaited SoHo & NoHo planning study, city calls for affordable housing and expanding retail
GOTHAMIST – IN LONG-AWAITED SOHO & NOHO PLANNING STUDY, CITY CALLS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND EXPANDING RETAIL – November 2019
A city planning report that attracted suspicion from many SoHo and NoHo residents has finally been released, boasting a list of recommendations that include the promotion of affordable housing in the notoriously pricey neighborhoods and the legalization of more ground floor retail.
City report lays out strategy for outdated SoHo zoning
CRAIN'S NEW YORK – CITY REPORT LAYS OUT STRATEGY FOR OUTDATED SOHO ZONING – November 2019
A report that could guide the first rezoning of SoHo and NoHo in nearly 50 years recommends city planners allow for a wider range of retail uses in the neighborhoods and create a pathway for more people to be allowed to live there. It also includes a nod to developing new housing—something a group of advocates have pushed for throughout the process.
In ritzy SoHo, a crusade to open the door to affordable housing
THE CITY – IN RITZY SOHO, A CRUSADE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING – September 2019
As a knot of outdated development rules in SoHo undergoes a public rethink, affordable housing advocates see an opening to make the richest district in the city more affordable for low-income New Yorkers.
Bullish on Amazon, sheepish on housing
NY DAILY NEWS – Bullish on Amazon, sheepish on housing – (op-ed) – December 2018
The region’s housing crisis doesn’t end at New York City limits, but homebuilding effectively does. Our in-state suburbs produce so little housing that last year, the depopulating City of Detroit permitted more housing units per capita than Westchester, Nassau or Suffolk counties.
The YIMBY movement comes to New York City
CURBED – The YIMBY movement comes to New York City – Sept 2018
Open New York, formerly More New York, began in earnest in 2017. Having grown tired of what they regard as the one-sided nature of land use politics in New York (a developer will propose a city-backed project, neighborhood groups vehemently oppose it), Open New York seeks to add a pro-development perspective to the anti-development chorus that often commandeers housing debates.
Is America’s densest city ready to make room?
CURBED – Is America’s densest city ready to make room? – Sept 2018
At its current rate of growth, Brooklyn is about to be more populous than the entire city of Chicago. Saying “we need more housing” is a given, but no one agrees on where, how high, and for whom. And New York has been later to that discussion than San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles: While the city is building housing, technically, it is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of 144,000 new Kings County residents since 2010.
Inclusive growth, not political horse-trading
THE VILLAGER – Inclusive growth, not political horse-trading – (op-ed) – August 2018
Two weeks ago, the City Council took a particularly tough vote to replace the shuttered P.C. Richard & Son on E. 14th St. with the Union Square Tech Hub, a space for nonprofits and start-up businesses to train working-class New Yorkers for jobs in the technology sector. It was a tough vote not because anyone on the Council is opposed to helping prepare New Yorkers for better-paying jobs, but because lobbyists representing wealthy nearby residents attempted to hijack the proceedings, and almost succeeded.
HPD commissioner sees ‘good news’ in YIMBY activism
POLITICO – HPD commissioner sees ‘good news’ in YIMBY activism(paywall) – May 2018
Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer weighed in on burgeoning pro-development activism on Wednesday, saying there’s “good news” in the Yes In My Backyard, or YIMBY, movements that have popped up in varying degrees in cities around the country.
What’s in a nabe? Proposed megadevelopment’s Boerum Hill location galvanizes debate
BROOKLYN PAPER – What’s in a nabe? Proposed megadevelopment’s Boerum Hill location galvanizes debate – May 2018
What’s in a nabe? Proposed megadevelopment’s Boerum Hill location galvanizes debate. Whose backyard is it anyway?
Inside the Battle over the Megaproject at 80 Flatbush
THE BRIDGE – Inside the Battle over the Megaproject at 80 Flatbush – April 2018
Opponents of the two-tower 80 Flatbush project call it “a Chrysler Building in Brownstone Brooklyn.” Its developers and supporters see it differently, believing that its size is a virtue, providing room for a wealth of facilities including two schools, office space and 200 units of affordable housing.
Politico: One-house budgets are coming
FAITH-BASED HOUSING: Amid a dire housing shortage in New York state lawmakers are scrambling to come up with ways to boost the state’s housing supply.
One option — make churches, synagogues and other religious institutions eligible to bypass local zoning laws and build housing, as of right, on land owned by faith-based organizations.
“Increasing the supply of permanent housing is a critical part of ensuring that we get out of the (housing) crisis,” Brian Kavanagh, chair of the senate housing committee, told Playbook.
The measure is separate from a push from Mayor Eric Adams to make it easier for churches and religious institutions to provide temporary shelters for migrants, who are also pressed for a place to stay in the city.
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Brian Cunningham, ensures the housing built on religious institutions’ lands would be “deeply affordable,” with restrictions varying based on whether or not the development is located within New York City.“We think that, given the depths of the housing crisis that we’re in right now, it makes sense to make it easier for these institutions to develop affordable housing, as long as they meet certain affordability requirements,” Gounardes said — Jason Beeferman
Crain’s New York Business: Hochul's housing incentive program may not lead to many more homes
An ineffective incentive program may even turn out to be a necessary pit stop on the way to more impactful housing changes, as people will need to see for themselves that it doesn't work before supporting more aggressive moves, said Andrew Fine, policy director of the pro-housing group Open New York.
"It may be important for the political conversation in New York for the incentive program to move forward," he said. "I think people legitimately believe that incentives could make a difference, and so now we'll see how it plays out. We don't believe that they will."
News 12 Long Island: Panel at Hofstra addresses connections between racial segregation, affordable housing on LI
Open New York Executive Director Annemarie Gray says part of the solution lies in increasing the supply of affordable housing on Long Island, but she says it’s not that simple.
"We've made it illegal to build the cheapest forms of housing and that's actually built into a lot of our zoning codes and a lot of our land use processes and things that the average person doesn't really think about,” she said. "We're at a point where unless you're extremely, extremely wealthy, you're struggling with housing."
Advocates say part of the solution also lies in communities coming together to create more inclusive housing options.
Newsday - Long Island Housing Advocates to Discuss Affordability and Segregation at Hofstra Event
Long Island housing advocates will gather Thursday night at Hofstra University to discuss strategies to improve affordable options and address segregation in housing.
The event will also include a conversation with housing policy expert Leah Rothstein, co-author of the book, “Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law.” The free event, organized by Syosset-based ERASE Racism and statewide pro-housing group Open New York, will be held at 7 p.m. at the Mack Student Center Theater on Hofstra’s North Campus.
“New York will not solve our dire housing shortage without all parts of the state working to be part of the solution to build more homes,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York.
In addition to Gray, panelists at the event will include Laura Harding, president of ERASE Racism; Elizabeth Grossman, executive director and general counsel of the Fair Housing Justice Center in Queens; Pilar Moya, executive director of Housing Help in Greenlawn; and Hunter Gross, executive director of the Huntington Township Housing Coalition.
Harlem World Magazine - Mayor Adams Taps Leila Bozorg for Housing Director, Launches Task Force to Save Affordable Housing
“Leila Bozorg is an impeccable choice to lead housing in New York City Hall. She brings a significant depth of knowledge and experience in housing policy, along with an exceptional dedication to creating stable, dignified housing options for all that is rooted in empathy and compassion for her fellow New Yorkers,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director, Open New York. “There is no higher priority for the future of our city, and I can think of no one better to take on the challenge. I look forward to working with Leila in her new role.”
City Limits: Hochul’s Housing Approach Stirs Questions About Tenant Protections, Developer Incentives
Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-development group Open New York, said ahead of Hochul’s speech that she was feeling hopeful about advancing housing policy in 2024.
“The vast majority of New Yorkers want more and fairer housing opportunities,” she told City Limits. “Statewide efforts to solve the housing crisis through increasing supply and protecting tenants will benefit every community.”
“I hope to continue to see the governor do absolutely everything in her executive power unilaterally to solve the crisis,” she added. “But we all need to be very clear eyed, of the scale of reforms that are needed. We have to come together, both with the legislature and the governor.”
The Real Deal - The political battles shaping real estate this year
Incremental action is not all bad, said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York. She said her disappointment about the governor’s stalled housing plan was tempered by a newly proposed bill to make it easier for faith-based organizations to build housing on their land.
“Decades of bad policy decisions won’t be fixed in one go,” Gray said. “But I think we’re really seeing momentum in New York for the first time.”
Gothamist - Despite NYC housing shortage, developers and politicians trim 2,600 units from rezoning plans
Different reasoning, fewer homes
Each of the 17 plans had a different reason for being trimmed or eliminated, including “Not In My Backyard” backlash from local residents, demands for reduced rents in new apartments, and concerns that concentrated development in low-income areas drives gentrification. But the final outcomes meant less housing got built, said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the organization Open New York.
“There are always particulars to each project, but writ large, when you look at these numbers, we definitely have enough stories and enough examples of lawmakers talking about prioritizing affordable housing but actively reducing or killing projects,” said Gray, a former city housing adviser.
Open Philanthropy - Suggestions for Individual Donors from Open Philanthropy Staff – 2023
“What is it? Open New York advocates for increasing the supply of housing throughout the state of New York.
Why I suggest it: In our land use reform portfolio, we aim to increase the supply of housing in large metro areas where more permissive policy could encourage economic growth and innovation, increase earnings (especially for low-income residents), and lower carbon emissions. Although attempts at statewide reform failed in 2023, the New York metropolitan area — the largest in the US, with some of the least affordable housing in the country — is a key location for reform, and Open New York is the most prominent group fighting for impactful policy changes.”
Brooklyn Magazine - A SOUTH SLOPE LINEN SUPPLY COMPANY’S CONTROVERSIAL REZONING PITCH
“We can’t afford to be reducing the number of homes we are creating with the crisis that we’re in right now,” says Annemarie Gray, the executive director of Open New York, which describes itself as a pro-housing organization Open New York has circulated its own petition in favor of the rezoning, which has received more than 500 signatures, Gray says.
Gray also notes that South Slope and Windsor Terrace have lagged behind other neighborhoods in the city when it comes to developing new and affordable housing.
“This is a fantastic place for more homes and a fantastic neighborhood,” Gray says. “But we need to make sure [the neighborhood] aligns with the values of being open to new people.”
Gray also argues that new housing would serve to lower — not raise — rents. She points to a study from New York University that found that building new housing helps to lower rents and “does not cause significant displacement of lower income residents.”
Politico New York - Council approves legislation to set housing targets in each neighborhood
Annemarie Gray, executive director of the housing advocacy group Open New York, called the Council measure “an important first step towards dismantling exclusionary zoning practices.” But she stressed the need for state action on housing.
“Meaningful change demands the engagement of both the governor and state Legislature as they have the tools to ensure accountability in meeting equitable housing targets,” she said in a statement.
The Real Deal - Burned in the Bronx: Making sense of election upset
She had been elected with support from Open New York, a pro-housing group that expected her to embrace apartment projects, not resist them.
Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Exonerated Five, is running unopposed for Council member Kristin Richardson Jordan’s Harlem seat. Pro-development group Open New York endorsed Salaam for his support of pro-housing zoning reform and good cause eviction.
The Real Deal - Laboz’s United American Land is a “go” in Soho
“It’s not very often that we add new housing in historic districts,” said Open New York’s executive director Annemarie Gray. “It’s a great sign that we’re seeing the Landmarks Preservation Commission recognize that and approve projects.”
…
“There are a lot more development sites in Gowanus,” Gray said, while new housing in Soho requires grappling with and reusing historic buildings in ways that retain their character.
New York Times - How 100,000 Apartments in New York City Disappeared
On some streets, many buildings that were built a century or more ago as single-family homes and split during the 1900s into multiple units have once again become single-family homes. In the rowhouses on West 88th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue, there are about 173 units. That compares with more than 400 units on the same street in the 1950s and 1960s, according to Mr. Brodheim, who is also a member of Open New York, a nonprofit that advocates for more development.
Politico New York - Playbook Oct. 12
Nick Berkowitz has started with Open New York as its director of communications and digital strategy. He previously had his own communications consulting firm.
New York Nonprofit - Newsletter, Oct. 11
One group that is trying to turn the tide on the widespread NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) sentiment that greets proposals of new housing in most neighborhoods is Open New York, formed in 2017 by a group of New Yorkers trying to build a YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) constituency in each city neighborhood to offset naysayers and pressure electeds to pass pro-building measures. The group played a role in recent successful fights in NoHo/SoHo, Gowanus and Throgs Neck to push through new affordable housing.
Leading the organization over the past year is Open New York's executive director Annemarie Gray, who prior to joining the nonprofit was senior advisor of land use in the New York City Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Workforce Development and before that worked with the New York City Economic Development Corp. New York Nonprofit Media spoke with Gray about what she works on in a given day in her executive director role, what it's like helming a small, fledgling nonprofit and what will actually have to happen if the city is ever to crawl out of the affordable-housing hole.
Newsday - Report: Amid shortage, NYC on pace to just meet 20% of housing goal
Andrew Fine, the policy director for the organization Open New York, which favors the construction of more housing in the region, said the report covers permits for housing that is expected to be finished in about two or three years, and “the future is looking tough.”
“We need dramatic state action to fix the housing market, and we need it both in New York City, and we need it in Westchester and we need it on Long Island in particular, which is growing housing at the slowest rate in the country.”
…
Fine said there should be “more flexible zoning” in the region to allow for more types of housing.
“Our land-use policies are some of the most restrictive in the country, and that means we don’t get housing built. It’s pretty simple,” he said.
The Real Deal - The Daily Dirt: Adams tackles NYC’s zoning code
“For far too long, many of the most well-resourced parts of the city have been defacto off-limits to new residents, and the Mayor and City Council can finally change that by implementing the reforms included in today’s proposal,” Annemarie Gray, Open New York’s executive director, said in a statement.
Daily News: - NYC proposes sweeping zoning changes intended to spur 100K new homes amid ongoing housing crisis
“We cannot solve this project by project,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, said of the “dramatic one-off rezoning fights” that have occurred on the local level in recent years. “We have to make sure nothing gets cut. We have to make sure that these are all the most ambitious, sensible versions of the ideas that we just put forward.”
Patch - Adams Unveils Sweeping NYC Zoning Reforms To Build 100K More Homes
Other advocates said they'd work to help the changes pass through an upcoming process.
“The proposed changes to New York City’s outdated zoning code are comprehensive and common-sense measures to encourage housing growth,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, said in a statement. “If passed, every neighborhood in the city will finally take part in solving our dire housing shortage.”
New York Times - In Yards, Offices and Basements, New York Hopes to Build 100,000 Homes
Annemarie Gray, the executive director of Open New York, a nonprofit that advocates for building more housing, welcomed Mr. Adams’s proposals but said her group would “be paying close attention as the public process moves forward to ensure that the proposed changes are as ambitious as possible.”
New York Groove - There are thousands of vacant lots across New York City. Can we build housing on them?
(whole article)
City Limits - City Pitches 4K Apartments for Industrial Central Brooklyn Stretch
“This is an area where there’s been a lot of pressure because [nearby] rezonings have limited growth, and it’s very transit-rich,” said Liz Denys of Flatbush, a mid-Brooklyn chapter leader for the pro-development group Open New York. “I think there could have potentially been opportunity for even more housing, but it’s a really great start.”
“I think as much affordable housing as possible is a great goal, and I think the way we achieve it is by ensuring cross-subsidization programs that make it possible for people to build those deeply affordable units,” Denys continued.
Patch - UWS Historic District Lost 1K Homes As Residents Combined Units: Study – August 2023
Preservationist Adam Brodheim — speaking about his massive study to THE CITY for their thorough, citywide report — said his research was spurred by the changes he saw on his Upper West Side Block. “Most people on the street, they’re not noticing that seven fewer families are able to live on this block," Brodheim told THE CITY. "This happens all the time.”
Brooklyn Paper - Op-Ed: A thumbs up to the 534 Coney Island Ave. rezoning is a no-brainer for Brooklyn – August 2023
(Whole op-ed)
Daily News - New construction in Manhattan weakest in more than a decade after key tax break expires: report – August 2023
Andrew Fine, policy director for the pro-development group Open New York, said the current numbers are especially low because of the rush to file last year before 421a expired. “You’re going to see a bigger dip when you have a bigger high just because a lot of the places that were close to being ready to go rushed to make sure that they could be filed in time,” he said. “We’re seeing something that’s just abnormally low because of how high the numbers were last year. But in general, as the data shows over a long period of time, we’re just at low numbers and we’re not building nearly enough housing.”
Harlem World Magazine - Mayor Adams Announces Record Year For Affordable Housing In NYC – August 2023
“Open New York is excited about the progress that the city made under difficult conditions last year, especially to develop more supportive housing, get new housing vouchers in the hands of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, and connect more New Yorkers in shelter with affordable housing,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director, Open New York. “But there are major headwinds moving forward with rising interest rates, expired tax incentives, and no support from Albany for regulatory relief. We will need the mayor and the City Council to take bold action in 2024 to keep this momentum from dying out.”
New York 1 - Open New York executive director talks about affordable housing – July 2023
(Whole interview)
Politico New York - Hochul takes executive action to extend tax benefits mirroring 421-a – July 2023
“While we welcome these actions, New York will only see changes that match the magnitude of the crisis when the Governor and the State Legislature come together to pass major legislation,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of the advocacy group Open New York, said in a statement.
Daily News - Hochul issues orders to spur housing development in New York – July 2023
Open New York, an advocacy group focused on housing, expressed support for Hochul’s orders but urged her to reach a deal with lawmakers.
“These actions are necessary, important, and yet insufficient,” Annemarie Gray, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “New York will only see changes that match the magnitude of the crisis when the governor and the state Legislature come together to pass major legislation.”
Albany Times Union - Hochul renews push for housing, liberal advocates skeptical – July 2023
Housing expert Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, cautioned that the “reality is that few municipalities will take advantage of the new 'pro-housing' designations.”
“These actions are necessary, important, and yet insufficient to address the scale of our housing crisis,” Gray said. “Nonetheless, we are pleased to see the governor do what she can to make up some ground after Albany’s disastrous and inactive legislative session on housing.”
Albany Times Union - Commentary: Lawmakers' failure to address housing crisis is hurting New Yorkers – July 2023
(Whole piece)
The Real Deal - The housing session that wasn’t – July 2023
“The governor was not someone who was able to pass one of her main pieces of policy this year,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York. “We clearly need to build a more distributed set of political champions.”
City & State - City & State’s First Read, June 28 – June 2023
WINNERS
…
– YIMBYs. Council Members Marjorie Velázquez and Julie Won’s (eventual) support for upzonings didn’t hurt them, Open New York fav Yusef Salaam will be replacing NIMBY Kristin Richardson Jordan, and all that on the day that the courts ruled against the Elizabeth Street Garden’s attempt to stop an affordable housing project on the site.
The Real Deal - These are the City Council races real estate is watching – June 2023
Pro-housing group Open New York endorsed Salaam, citing his support of pro-housing zoning reform and good cause.
Logan Phares, Open New York’s political director, said inaction on housing at the state level makes support for housing initiatives even more imperative in the city. “We need to make sure that our housing champions who are in the Council do not lose their seats and that we have more housing champions in the Council,” she said.
The group has also endorsed incumbents Carlina Rivera, Keith Powers, Shaun Abreu, Sanchez and Erik Bottcher.
Politico New York - What Hochul could do on housing via executive action – June 2023
What might that look like? Groups including the New York State Association for Affordable Housing and Open New York have some ideas, including taking steps to allow affordable housing on state-owned land and investigating localities that may be violating fair housing law.
The Real Deal - Housing is a no-go: Lawmakers set to leave Albany empty-handed – June 2023
“It is bleak that New York seems to be throwing up its hands and doing nothing,” Andrew Fine, Open New York’s policy director, told The Real Deal last month.
Politico New York - A last-ditch effort for a housing deal in Albany collapses. Finger pointing begins. – June 2023
Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, which advocates for policies to boost housing growth, lamented the collapse of the housing deal.
“As a state, we end this session exactly where we started: New York faces an acute housing crisis and several tools at its disposal to make housing more affordable and widely available that have been collecting dust,” she said in a statement Thursday. “There is only one way to characterize this year’s outcome: unacceptable.”
The Indypendent - Exonerated 5 Member Yusef Salaam Returns to Harlem to Run for City Council – June 2023
Open New York, the YIMBY group founded by real estate investors, backs Salaam.
Gotham Gazette - Housing Development in New York City Slows to a Crawl as Officials Debate Tax Incentives – June 2023
“The property tax system in New York City is broken, inequitable, regressive, and frankly, idiotic. And everyone knows that but no one's willing to fix it,” said Andrew Fine, policy director of Open New York, a pro-housing-growth advocacy group. But, in the absence of any reforms to that system, “we do need 421-a to get housing built, and particularly affordable housing in high-cost areas where agencies like [the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development] and [the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal] are unlikely to fund affordable housing.”
“421-a has been an important bandaid on the broken system for decades, and it should be tweaked and fixed over time. But most importantly, the property tax system as a whole needs to be fixed,” he added.
City & State – Campaign confidential newsletter, Wednesday May 24 – May 2023
Open New York endorsed Salaam, plus five council incumbents, including Pierina Sanchez in District 14.
Gotham Gazette – What Advocates and Electeds Say Mayor Adams Should Be Doing Differently About the Asylum-Seeker Crisis – May 2023
Open New York, a pro-housing group, conducted a survey and found over 200 vacant rent-stabilized units in buildings that the city either owns or subsidizes, according to a Gothamist report. The group is pushing the administration to get those apartments back in rotation by funding repairs.
Politico New York – Adams asks businesses to help with migrant crisis – May 2023
Andrew Fine of the advocacy group Open New York, which has called for more housing growth in affluent neighborhoods, praised the measure as a "great first step," but said there "must be real consequences for non-compliance if growth targets are to make a significant difference.”
Crain’s – Council wants to set housing growth targets for each neighborhood—with no enforcement – May 2023
Andrew Fine, policy director of the pro-housing group Open New York, said the council lacks the ability to impose construction mandates through regular legislation—instead, it would need to come through a citywide zoning text amendment, a charter revision to grant the council that power, or, more easily, through a state law.
Fine, of Open New York, called Adams’ legislation "a great first step," but one that should be paired with state legislation to have a real impact.
"Targets need enforceability and requirements in order to make a meaningful difference," he said. "We want to work with the speaker and the City Council to translate these targets into something that will be enforceable over time."
Gothamist – Empty NYC-owned apartments could help solve housing crisis, policy group says – May 2023
Open New York, a group that advocates for development and renter protections, identified more than 200 rent-stabilized apartments in vacant buildings controlled or funded by the city as part of a crowdsourced survey on empty units. That’s likely a fraction of the total, said Andrew Fine, the group's policy director. Fine, a former official at the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, called for “a public reckoning” to revamp the city-owned units that are sitting empty, pitching a proposal to expedite repair deadlines and a push to rent apartments sooner. "This shows that there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit out there," Fine said. "When we talk about government being a meaningful player in solving the affordable housing crisis, we need to think about the things that are just staring at us already."
Open New York and other advocates hope the city can streamline the process of getting apartments like that back on the market, especially as shelters are stretched to capacity and tens of thousands of newly arriving immigrants are also in need of places to stay.
The group issued its call to identify empty apartments as the city is mired in a decadeslong housing shortage with tenants, landlords and policymakers locked in broader policy debate over long-term vacancies.
The organization is urging the city to restore more than $500 million in the housing budget that went unspent last year, fund the creation of a tool to track the state of rent-regulated buildings and restore 37 open positions at HPD that Mayor Eric Adams ordered eliminated in a recent cost-cutting measure.
But unlike with vacant apartments owned by private landlords, the city can take direct action at properties they own or heavily subsidize, Fine said. The needed renovations garner less attention than flashier plans to convert unused hotels and offices to apartments but would provide vital housing in buildings already configured for residential use.
"There is still a lot of unfinished business from past decades that get less attention and would serve tenants just as well if completed," he said.
Crain's – Suburbs ready to pitch in on housing – May 2023
Open New York, a pro-housing group that has so far focused mainly on the city, recently launched chapters on Long Island and in Westchester as well. This will hopefully start to change what politicians in those areas hear from their constituents about new developments, said policy director Andrew Fine.
"Our goal is to organize those people and to make those voices heard and keep on getting individual projects off the ground to show that this is good for communities, is not scary, creates a lot of benefits and brings in great new neighbors," he said.
Although Fine was frustrated that the compact didn't make it into the budget, he stressed that the organization always knew approval would be a difficult process.
"We're definitely disappointed, but we expected this to be a long fight," he said. "If it were easy, it would have changed a long time ago."
HuffPost – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Comes Up Empty On Housing In State Budget – April 2023
"The status quo will continue for at least another year," said Andrew Fine, policy director for Open New York, a ‘yes-in-my-backyard,’ or YIMBY, housing group that was an outspoken proponent of Hochul’s plan. "The status quo is a housing crisis."
"If we want a New York that is more affordable, that is more integrated — racially and socioeconomically — that allows people of lower incomes to live near their jobs and that empowers people to stay in their apartments or to move to better apartments when their lives change, then we need to fix restrictive zoning," Fine said.
"We’re just sort of following that path of letting things get worse and worse," Fine said. "Sometime it will reach a breaking point."
The City – Hochul’s Suburbs Housing Plan Is Dead, but Adams Keeps Pushing Housing Fixes for NYC – April 2023
Incentive programs — like the ones the legislature wants to fund infrastructure — have failed everywhere they have been tried, including in states like California, Washington and Oregon, said Andrew Fine, policy director of Open New York, an pro-development advocacy group pushing construction of more housing.
Those places then passed the kind of laws that Hochul had proposed for New York, Fine said, noting that in each case, it took several years to convince the legislature to adopt strong measures.
"Mandates are the only way forward," he said. "But we know this can be a long fight and we will be here fighting in the future."
The City – More Housing Density in New York City? Not So Fast, Say Some City Lawmakers on Key Hochul Proposal – April 2023
For Andrew Fine, policy director for the pro-housing group Open New York, the cap prevents further upzonings that could lead to more affordable housing, through MIH, in some of the more affluent neighborhoods.
Fine stressed that many of the city’s iconic residential buildings, such as the Beresford and others that ring Central Park, could not be built today. He also called the cap “totally arbitrary” because it placed limitations on residential buildings but not commercial ones.
“We think that every neighborhood in every village, and every city and every town needs to do its part to address the housing crisis, and that includes Manhattan," he said.
City Limits – As New York Leaders Push for More Housing Near Transit, East Bronx Readies for a Rezoning – March 2023
“This is not a chance that comes around very often," said Logan Phares, political director for the pro-housing advocacy group Open New York, which is pressing the city to expand the area targeted by the rezoning in both geographical reach and density.
"Unfortunately, right now, the proposed scope of the study is just far too limited to meet the scale of the housing crisis and create the housing that we need," Phares said in an interview with City Limits, pointing to a 2005 downzoning under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg that limited development in a 24-block swath of Morris Park nearby.
"The densities that are presented in the study are just not high enough to address the crisis," said Phares, adding that Open New York hopes the city will pursue "a significantly more ambitious plan," than the one currently on the table.
The Real Deal – Incentives won’t make dent in housing crisis, groups say – March 2023
Open New York’s Andrew Fine said the one-house budget resolutions show an unwillingness to deal with the housing crisis and that lawmakers have simply “put their heads in sand.” He noted the experience of other states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, where exclusionary communities tend to be well off and not moved by government cash. "Funding incentives will not put a real dent in the housing crisis," Fine said.
The City – Hochul Housing Scheme Snub by Legislature Jeopardizes Crisis Response – March 2023
The concept is detested by real estate groups like REBNY, although it has garnered support from pro-housing groups like Open New York, a grassroots “Yes in My Backyard” (YIMBY) organization pushing for proposals like suburban building requirements.
By getting behind good cause, the legislature may have been seeking to split the real estate industry and the housing advocacy groups that have supported the idea like Open New York.
Open New York vows that will not happen.
"We are going to fight this year, next year whatever it takes to happen," said Andrew Fine, the group’s policy director.
Politico New York – Senate, Assembly rejections of Hochul housing plan draw sharp criticism – March 2023
“This guts the most meaningful pieces of [the governor’s plan]," said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the group Open New York, which advocates for policies to boost residential development. "This is exclusionary suburbs winning and the Legislature giving into that.”
Streetsblog – YES IN OUR BACKYARD: New Yorkers Widely Support Parking Reform, Density Near Transit – March 2023
Nixing the parking requirements — in combination with encouraging building more density near transit — are no-brainers in order to reduce driving and rents, according Andrew Fine, the policy director of Open New York.
"What New Yorkers want is lower rents and less congestion. That’s what encouraging transit-oriented development does," said Fine. "It’s the same reason why widening highways encourages more driving. If you make it easier to be a car owner, whether it’s prioritizing more space for driving, or more space for parking, that encourages people to have more cars.”
THE REAL DEAL – Here’s what NY can learn from other states’ housing plans – February 2023
There is some acknowledgement of this in Hochul’s proposed budget, which includes $4 million to create a new office within the state’s housing agency that would work with localities to meet their housing targets. But Annemarie Gray, executive director of the pro-housing group Open New York, believes the proposal needs stronger enforcement mechanisms. Her group is pushing for provisions that would fine localities for failing to meet their housing targets and allow nonprofits to bring lawsuits against local governments.
CURBED – Partying With the New YIMBYs on the Block – February 2023
Gray and Open New York are ascending during what feels like a political turning point in the city. A new consensus is emerging that, rather than building too much luxury housing, the real problem is New York hasn’t built nearly enough of anything. In the past decade, as the city grew by 800,000 people, it only gained 200,000 new places for them to live. More than half of New Yorkers are officially rent-burdened; 250,000 families sit on the NYCHA waiting list. The scale of new housing required to meet current demand is so significant that saying “no” to proposed development is becoming politically untenable, even among traditionally resistant circles.
HUFFPOST – Why Rival Sides In The Housing Crisis Plaguing Major U.S. Cities Are Considering Peace – February 2023
“We don’t want to subscribe to a scarcity mindset,” Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, the state’s leading YIMBY group, told HuffPost in a recent interview. “We think that we should be able to pass tenant protections and policies to increase supply. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
SLATE – New York Has a YIMBY Governor – January 2023
“No governor has prioritized zoning reform for decades, so we’re excited to be having this conversation at the state level,” said Andrew Fine, the policy director for Open New York, a pro-housing advocacy group. He cautioned: “For all these policies, the devil is in the details and enforcement is what matters.”
LAW360 – Production Thresholds Central To NY Gov.'s Housing Plan – January 2023
"No governor has prioritized zoning reform for decades. It's really exciting that this is the first priority in her briefing book," said Andrew Fine, policy director for Open New York, a group advocating for increased housing production in the state.
However, Fine continued, "The devil is in the details, and enforcement is what really matters. So we'll be watching closely as these proposals move forward to make sure they have teeth."
THE CITY – In State of State Speech, Hochul Backs Adams Housing Agenda – January 2023
"There is finally an alignment about why building housing of all types is required and are united behind the idea that supply is an issue," said Annmarie Gray, executive director of the group Open New York, a pro-housing, ‘yes in my backyard’ advocacy organization that is preparing to lobby for many of the proposals. "For far too long New York’s mayors and governors and lawmakers have sat on the sideline and have neglected to pass legislation that have increased housing opportunities elsewhere."
"These ideas are not rocket science and other states have done them," said Gray of Open New York.
POLITICO NEW YORK – Group pushing more housing production backs "good cause" eviction – January 2023
‘We need to build more housing of all kinds, and building owners need more competition, and we need tenant protections — more housing options also means the option to stay,’ said Annemarie Gray, executive director of the organization. ‘I truly believe that there’s a way to do all of these things…recognizing that we can protect tenants at the same time.’
LAW360 – Housing Needs Poised To Drive NY Policy Talks In New Year – December 2022
Open New York, one of the YIMBY groups honored in Midtown this month, said it will keep renter protections at the forefront of its lobbying.
"In terms of tenant protections and [housing] supply, we can walk and chew gum at the same time," political director Logan Phares told Law360 this month.
CITY & STATE – City & State summit seeks solutions to unfolding affordable housing crisis – December 2022
Panelists discussed various intersectional issues related to housing affordability in New York state, from restricted housing supply, inadequate code enforcement and limited rental options. Limited housing supply was the top issue, with panelist Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, elaborating on the consequences of limited development.
“We don't build enough of all kinds of housing, due to exclusionary zoning and land use practices. The suburbs, in particular, are not doing their part. We have a regional transit system and regional economy, but we don't plan for housing opportunities at a regional level. And we have a political process that gives an outsized voice to people blocking housing, especially in the wealthiest neighborhoods. Fundamentally, more housing equals more power for renters, and building owners need more competition.”
GOTHAM GAZETTE – As Hochul Promises ‘Bold’ Agenda, Many Housing Policies on the Table for 2023 in Albany – December 2022
“The most important thing is that housing is at the top of the agenda in Albany for 2023,” said Andrew Fine, policy director for Open New York, a pro-housing group based in the city. “And that there’s an agreement among the governor and the State Legislature that they can't go home in June without passing some meaningful bills that will advance housing production.”
WBAI CITY WATCH – Live Next to a Vacant Apartment? This Housing Group Wants to Know – November 2022
“In order to deal with the housing crisis, we just need better data and we need to be fighting less about which numbers are vacant and which are occupied and more going forward on the policy proposals we need to do to address the crisis,” said Open New York Policy Director Andrew Fine during an interview on WBAI’s City Watch Sunday. “We keep on fighting about the numbers instead of [figuring out] the policies.”
“This is not going to fix the housing crisis, but it’s one of the things that is in our control if there is more attention to it and more resources put into it,” he said. “The city needs more staff in order to get capital dollars to these buildings and get them filled, because right now they’re sitting vacant because of bureaucratic problems.”
“You can interpret the numbers through many different lenses,” Fine said. “Some people saw the 90,000 number and said ‘Well, there’s fewer than 90,000 households in shelter at any given time, why do we need new housing when we have all of these vacant apartments.’ Some people say we don’t have a housing crisis.”
CRAIN'S – Last-minute vote shrinks Gowanus block rezoning, reducing the number of affordable units – October 2022
The change upset pro-housing group Open New York as well.
"It is mind-boggling to be cutting the number of affordable units in the middle of an ever-deepening housing crisis," said Logan Phares, the organization’s political director.
NEW YORK FOCUS – The Rent Is Too Damn High. Blame the Suburbs. – October 2022
“There’s a high payoff rate for passing statewide policies versus taking smaller steps such as neighborhood rezonings,” said Logan Phares, political director of the pro-housing group Open New York. “The state holds a lot of power to create new homes.”
“But that’s a few hundred apartments,” she added, “and we need hundreds of thousands of apartments.”
POLITICO – Facing acute housing shortage, Adams looks to a policy change – October 2022
Logan Phares, political director of the pro-housing group Open New York, called the mayor’s support for the Bronx project “a very positive development, and very important to what happened there.”
NEW YORK 1 – Your guide to understanding affordable housing in New York City – October 2022
Open New York, a housing advocacy group, wants to see changes to state and city law that would eliminate parking requirements for new buildings and allow for legalization of basement units, of which the city has estimated there are 50,000 in the five boroughs.
The group is also pushing for rezonings of neighborhoods that have historically avoided influxes of new construction, such as the West Village and Park Slope. The group was a proponent for the rezoning of the Soho and NoHo neighborhoods in Manhattan, which is expected to add 3,000 new apartments to the area, a third of them deemed “affordable.”
“As an organization, we believe that we need to start in those wealthy neighborhoods, transit rich neighborhoods, to start solving this crisis in an equitable way,” said Logan Phares, the group’s political director."
CURBED – Why Is It So Hard to Build Affordable Housing in New York? – October 2022
“Ultimately, there are no conditions that will please housing opponents, because they don’t want more housing to be built,” Logan Phares, the organization’s political director, tells me.
THE CITY – NYC’s Affordable Housing Crisis Puts Deference to City Council and Local Opposition Under Scrutiny – September 2022
Every new unit must be built in someone’s backyard, but the current approval process stymies building, say developers and some advocates…“We know the housing crisis is a regional crisis and an apartment anywhere in New York impacts the whole city,” said Open New York political director Logan Phares. The group is frequently attacked as being outsiders in the community, though its members live in the city. Still, the group is creating borough-based chapters to try to blunt the criticism.
CRAIN'S NEW YORK – City’s affordable housing production declines by 45%, per report – September 2022
Logan Phares, political director of Open New York, a pro-housing advocacy group, noted that the data only captures the first six months of Adams' time in office and said members of the group “are hopeful” the mayor will prioritize creating more affordable housing in the next year.
CITY & STATE NEW YORK – With new leadership, pro-development Open New York heads to Albany – September 2022
Incoming Executive Director Annemarie Gray – a top housing adviser to Mayor Eric Adams – says that Open New York will take its efforts to Albany next session in order to fight for more systemic changes that would make building more housing easier. “It’s really clear that also focusing on the state level is so critical to enacting the policies that can really address the housing crisis more effectively and faster,” Gray, who starts next month, told City & State.
GOTHAMIST – Pro-housing activists behind SoHo rezoning hire Mayor Adams adviser as new leader – September 2022
The hiring, which is being funded by a philanthropic grant, reflects a broader effort by the nascent activist group to become a bigger player in shaping local and state housing policy. Gray has worked at City Hall since 2020 and has been involved in rezonings, as well as the city’s outdoor dining initiative.
“I really think a progressive approach to housing includes all forms of it,” she said.
STREETSBLOG NYC – ANALYSIS: Developer Blasts Harlem Pol Over Rejecting Housing, As He Plans Truck Depot Instead – September 2022
“This is a particularly clear example of what happens when politicians prioritize opposing every zoning change over their constituents’ needs,” said Logan Phares, the political director of Open New York. “New York’s people, not its vehicles, urgently need a roof over their heads. Amid climate change’s recent effect on the five boroughs, as well as a rise in homelessness and traffic deaths, it’s disappointing to see that the Council member took the route that will lead to more trucks on the road rather than more residents with a place to sleep at night.”
GOTHAMIST – NIMBY development fight aims to preserve ‘slice of suburbia’ in the East Bronx – June 2022
"The Bronx needs affordable housing. It is unlikely we'll be able to meet these needs if whole community boards or Council districts just decide they won’t allow it."
THE CITY – Eric Adams Says Yes to City Real Estate Development - If Only the Council Could Agree – June 2022
The mayor’s embrace of the “yes in my backyard” approach is the hallmark of some advocates who’ve called for more rezonings and more housing to be built all across the city, including in wealthier neighborhoods like SoHo and NoHo in Manhattan.
THE BRONX TIMES – What’s Next for the Bruckner Rezoning Proposal? – May 2022
From 2014-2021, just 58 units of affordable housing have been built in City Council District 13, according to the New York Housing Conference. This number is the lowest of all of the Bronx council districts.
THE TIMES (UK) – I’m a yimby, come and build in my back yard – April 2022
Yimbyism is now a global movement, with young activists in Paris, Berlin and cities all over North America. Open New York, a pro-housing campaign that started on Twitter, won a huge victory last December after a three-year battle to create more affordable homes in SoHo and nearby NoHo in Lower Manhattan.
SLATE – New York Needs to Learn a Housing Lesson From … New Jersey? – February 2022
New York City’s greatest housing boom took place in the 1920s, against a backdrop of rent controls and fierce tenant activism… A good cause eviction bill will not solve New York’s housing crisis. But by giving tenants a sense of security, it could provide politicians with the cover they need to make room for more apartments, period.
ALBANY TIMES-UNION – Commentary: Add affordable housing by ending exclusionary zoning – (op-ed) – January 2022
New Yorkers like to believe we are leading the charge on progressive policies in the United States, and in many ways we are. But on one key front, we are falling far behind, and have been for decades: exclusionary zoning, or local restrictions on housing development that prevent diverse home types from being built in many communities.
THE NEW YORK TIMES – Plan to Bring More Housing to SoHo is Approved – December 2021
With its cast-iron buildings, art galleries and boutique shops, SoHo is well known as an international emblem of trendy, upscale New York. But as the city confronts a severe housing crisis, it has also emerged as a focal point in a fraught push to spur development and add more affordable living options in New York’s wealthiest enclaves.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – Housing Advocates Have a Long List of Hopes for Eric Adams – December 2021
Real estate observers and housing advocates have a long list of hopes and dreams for his administration nonetheless. These include property tax reform, converting hotels and office buildings to housing, upzonings, expanded rental voucher programs, and even subsidies for rent-stabilized landlords making energy-efficient renovations.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS – The cost of aesthetics in SoHo and beyond – (op-ed) – December 2021
We can build and preserve in tandem. Instead of putting regulatory blankets over neighborhoods, pick out more of these individual sites that make those neighborhoods worthy of protection.
THE VILLAGE SUN – Opinion: In support of 250 Water St. – November 2021
We can’t let a few unserious and inconsistent parking lot advocates speak for the rest of Lower Manhattan in order to kill affordable housing projects. Instead, let’s break ground and get people into homes. Welcome to the neighborhood.
THE REAL DEAL – Gotham Org’s Fort Greene project overcomes local opposition – August 2021
For supporters of the project such as Shaurav Datta, 39, of Downtown Brooklyn, this is the type of development that would have allowed his friends — young families — to stay in the city rather than relocate to such places as Texas or Tennessee, where housing is significantly less expensive.
THE BRONX SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ANTI-VIOLENCE FORUMS – Open New York – (video) – August 2021
Host Daren Jaime sits down with … Board member of Open New York & District Manager for Bronx CB 6, John Sanchez, [to discuss] affordable housing in NYC.
CITYLIMITS – Opinion: A Truly Equitable SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Should Focus on More Housing, Not Office Space – (op-ed) – August 2021
The need for new housing, especially affordable, in these high-opportunity neighborhoods is much more acute than the need for more commercial space.
CURBED NY – Adams Chooses McDonalds Over Housing Density in Prospect Heights – July 2021
So much for density. Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams, the man who is all but guaranteed to be our next mayor, has voted against a proposed 18-story tower on the corner of Atlantic and Vanderbilt Avenues in Prospect Heights, citing (among a few other things) the project’s density.
OUR TOWN – Self-Storage Proposal Should be Homes Instead – (op-ed) – April 2021
In the 1960s this and a few other blocks running across the East 90s were zoned exclusively for automotive and industrial development in order to keep the Upper East Side separated from Harlem, and for all the Mayor and City officials like to talk about social justice, nobody has bothered to correct it.
ARCHPAPER – Landmarks Preservation Commission, preserve the past, don’t block the future – (op-ed) – February 2021
The LPC must no longer be able to block housing from being built on vacant or non-historic lots and the final say on land use must reside with the City Council and Mayor. District landmarking—unlike individually designed landmarks—is another tool, like zoning, that our city uses to maintain segregation and protect the equity of property owners.
City lays groundwork for potential SoHo, NoHo rezoning
CURBED NY – CITY LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR POTENTIAL SOHO, NOHO REZONING – November 2019
The city has released its much-anticipated report recommending zoning reforms for the Soho and Noho neighborhoods, a move that lays the groundwork for what will likely be the area’s first major land use changes since 1971.
Pro-Development Group Targets Soho & Noho For Affordable Housing
GOTHAMIST – Pro-Development Group Targets Soho & Noho For Affordable Housing – August 2019
Members of an upstart pro-development group are floating a provocative plan to rezone Soho and Noho, two of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods, in what represents their first broad policy proposal aimed at alleviating the affordable housing crisis.
After Amazon? Build much more housing
NY DAILY NEWS – After Amazon? Build much more housing – (op-ed) – February 2019
It is imperative that the City Council now take a wide-ranging look at where we can add more housing, in Long Island City and beyond. We should not have to choose between good jobs and good homes.
NYC’s community board term limits ballot measure, explained
CURBED – NYC’s community board term limits ballot measure, explained – October 2018
Ben Carlos Thypin, a board member of nascent pro-development group Open New York, was more explicit in his support. Since community board members skew “older, whiter, and more housing-secure than their neighbors,” he said, they do not make decisions that are in the best interest for the communities as a whole, specifically excluding people of color, renters and newcomers to the city or neighborhoods.
New York City’s affordability crisis, explained by a single Brooklyn project
CRAIN'S NEW YORK – New York City’s affordability crisis, explained by a single Brooklyn project – (op-ed) – Sept 2018
The City Council is scheduled to vote Sept. 17 on whether to approve 80 Flatbush, a large development proposed for Downtown Brooklyn. For me, the choice is stark: A yes will win my neighborhood more than 900 new homes (200 affordable!), two schools and office space at zero cost to the taxpayer. A no would deny us this greatly needed infrastructure.
Save the Tech Hub
CRAIN'S NEW YORK – Save the Tech Hub – (op-ed) – July 2018
John Montes took coding classes in the Bronx and was able to move from a minimum-wage job to a $50,000 career. So when the City Council held a hearing on the proposed Union Square Tech Hub, an incubator space for technology startups and nonprofits, the Lower East Side resident testified in support.
To Make New York City More Affordable, End the Cap on Density
GOTHAM GAZETTE – To Make New York City More Affordable, End the Cap on Density – (op-ed) – May 2018
New York’s severe housing crisis can be traced to a simple fact—our city doesn’t have enough homes for the people who want to live here.
Pro-Development Groups Push for Boerum Hill Towers, as Brooklyn Neighbors Fight Back
COMMERCIAL OBSERVER – Pro-Development Groups Push for Boerum Hill Towers, as Brooklyn Neighbors Fight Back – May 2018
A controversial multi-building development proposed for 80 Flatbush Avenue across from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn is pitting a nascent group of pro-development activists against community groups and neighbors.
The Plan for 80 Flatbush Hits a Bump. What Happens Next?
THE BRIDGE – The Plan for 80 Flatbush Hits a Bump. What Happens Next? – May 2018
This outcome wasn’t a surprise. Brooklyn Community Board 2 voted overwhelmingly last night to oppose the proposed rezoning of the 80 Flatbush development site, which would allow for a near tripling of the density on the block bordered by Flatbush and Third avenues and State and Schermerhorn streets.
…
Several representatives of Open New York (a reported 30 active members) made the not unreasonable argument that New York City needs more housing, that sites near transit can best absorb it, and that wealthier communities should accept their fair share, partly to reduce the pressure of gentrification deeper in Brooklyn.
Pro-development activists find voice in housing battles
POLITICO – Pro-development activists find voice in housing battles (paywall) – April 2018
A proposal for a massive downtown Brooklyn development that would include a huge high rise has been met with significant community opposition. That’s pretty much expected.But this familiar scenario has an unusual twist — the project, known as 80 Flatbush, also has a good deal of grass-roots support, and backers are making some headway…