New York City's borough presidents are finally wielding real power when it comes to housing decisions. Thanks to a recent ballot measure, these local leaders can now effectively veto Council-approved plans that they deem unsuitable. This shift marks a significant change in the city's review process, which had previously granted individual council members considerable influence over land use applications.
Under the new system, developers will be able to appeal to a three-member appeals board consisting of the mayor, city council speaker, and borough president if their proposal is rejected by the Council. If the appeals board approves the plan, it will become binding. This power shift could lead to more housing developments in areas currently lagging behind.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is already using his newfound authority to guide decision-making on housing proposals. He has released a comprehensive rubric that assigns development goals for every neighborhood and considers reversing Council decisions blocking or modifying applications if they fall short of these targets, particularly in low-density districts like Bensonhurst and Midwood.
Reynoso believes this approach will help tackle the city's affordable housing crisis by concentrating efforts on areas producing few new homes. He also aims to depoliticize housing issues and base his votes on where homes are being built rather than their developers' interests.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal plans to consider reversing decisions that block new housing in underproducing neighborhoods like Bayside and the western portion of the Rockaway Peninsula. He also expects this power to spur more housing applications, as developers may be incentivized to submit proposals they previously deemed unlikely.
The appeals board has sparked concerns among community groups and some City Council members, who worry it could undermine their ability to negotiate greater affordability and public benefits for communities. However, proponents argue that this system will help prevent the current situation where developers might pull applications before a formal review process even begins due to the dominance of local council members.
While borough presidents have long issued advisory opinions on land use proposals as part of the city's process, their new authority represents a significant shift towards taking more decisive action in housing decisions.
Under the new system, developers will be able to appeal to a three-member appeals board consisting of the mayor, city council speaker, and borough president if their proposal is rejected by the Council. If the appeals board approves the plan, it will become binding. This power shift could lead to more housing developments in areas currently lagging behind.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is already using his newfound authority to guide decision-making on housing proposals. He has released a comprehensive rubric that assigns development goals for every neighborhood and considers reversing Council decisions blocking or modifying applications if they fall short of these targets, particularly in low-density districts like Bensonhurst and Midwood.
Reynoso believes this approach will help tackle the city's affordable housing crisis by concentrating efforts on areas producing few new homes. He also aims to depoliticize housing issues and base his votes on where homes are being built rather than their developers' interests.
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal plans to consider reversing decisions that block new housing in underproducing neighborhoods like Bayside and the western portion of the Rockaway Peninsula. He also expects this power to spur more housing applications, as developers may be incentivized to submit proposals they previously deemed unlikely.
The appeals board has sparked concerns among community groups and some City Council members, who worry it could undermine their ability to negotiate greater affordability and public benefits for communities. However, proponents argue that this system will help prevent the current situation where developers might pull applications before a formal review process even begins due to the dominance of local council members.
While borough presidents have long issued advisory opinions on land use proposals as part of the city's process, their new authority represents a significant shift towards taking more decisive action in housing decisions.
! It's about time the borough presidents had some real say in what goes down in NYC. I mean, who better to decide on developments in your own neighborhood than someone who actually calls it home? The idea of having a rubric that assigns development goals for every neighborhood is genius 
- it's all about prioritizing where our resources should be going.
. It's time we stopped playing politics with housing and started putting people over profits. I hope this new system brings more transparency and community involvement into the decision-making process 
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. Who knows, maybe we'll see some real progress on affordable housing in NYC soon? Fingers crossed!
that NYC borough pres is getting to make more decisions about what gets built where 
Brooklyn's Antonio Reynoso sounds like a total boss for creating his own rubric and guidelines for development goals, and Manhattan's Brad Hoylman-Sigal is on board too 
i hope this system actually works out and doesn't get overridden by council members 
so like what I'm trying to understand is how this appeals board thing is gonna work? is it just gonna be mayor and council speaker and borough president or are there like any other people on that board too? 
also, what's with the idea of depoliticizing housing decisions? do they mean politicians aren't supposed to care about who's donating money to their campaigns anymore? 
still hopeful this new system helps tackle affordable housing crisis tho 
. Anyway, fingers crossed that borough presidents will use their new power to make real changes!
Interesting that NYC is finally giving borough presidents some real power when it comes to housing decisions! I think this change could lead to some positive changes, especially with Brooklyn's Antonio Reynoso using his new authority to prioritize affordable housing in underproducing neighborhoods. However, I'm a bit worried about the appeals board sparking concerns from community groups and some City Council members... Hopefully, it'll all work out for the better 
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That's crazy talk! But seriously, the stats are wild - over 300,000+ units needed by 2030 to keep up with demand 
- assigning development goals for every neighborhood and considering reversing Council decisions blocking or modifying applications? That's some next-level thinking 
. And with this new system, we might finally see some progress 
. Community groups and City Council members are worried about affordability and public benefits being undermined? Can we agree that community input is everything? 
. Maybe, just maybe, we'll finally see some real change in NYC's housing game 
And I gotta agree with Reynoso on concentrating efforts on areas that really need more affordable housing. It's crazy how development is happening in these low-density districts and leaving other areas behind. 
But hey, at least we're trying something new! 
. Let's keep the momentum going and make a dent in that affordable housing crisis