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In his fourth State of the City address, delivered at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, Manhattan, Mayor Eric Adams reveals an ambitious plan to put New York City as the place where families can finally thrive: the Charter Revision Commission marks the commencement of a potential housing reforms. Last month, following the City Council’s ratification of a modified version of Adams’ ambitious “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, which aims to simplify zoning laws to accelerate residential construction across New York, the mayor announced the establishment of this 14-member panel.
The Commission’s mandate is to evaluate and propose updates to the city’s 400-page charter, which outlines the structure, responsibilities, and key operational policies of the city government. These revisions will specifically address the pressing issue of the housing shortage, with the objective that any amendments suggested by the Commission will be put forward for public approval through ballot measures in the upcoming general election in November. Richard Buery, who chairs the Commission and has previously served as a deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio, mentioned the pressing need for the Commission to focus on the charter’s provisions concerning housing and urban planning. The severe implications of the housing crisis, which he said restricts New Yorkers’ choices about where to live, the schools their children can attend, their commutes, and even being able to live with their families. Because of this, addressing the future of housing is one of the most crucial step New York City has to take.
In its efforts to gather a broad range of perspectives, the Commission plans to conduct public hearings across all five boroughs. These hearings aim to engage community members, housing experts, and advocacy groups to contribute ideas and feedback. This process reflects a continuation of the city’s approach to charter revisions, which have periodically focused on housing issues. Notably, a previous Charter Revision Commission in 2019 advanced proposals that voters later approved to make modest adjustments to the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), although it stopped short of implementing a more comprehensive planning framework. During the initial meeting, various Commission members expressed their specific concerns and targets for reform. Anita Laremont, a partner at the law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and a former director of the Department of City Planning, emphasized the challenge of overcoming localized opinions to citywide initiatives. Diane Savino, a former state senator and current advisor to Mayor Adams, recounted her experiences in the Senate, advocating for quicker development processes to enact zoning changes that have taken nearly 15 years to be processed.
This charter revision process under Mayor Adams has sparked debate and controversy, which is perceived by some as a rapid consolidation of power by City Hall at the expense of the City Council’s authority, which had proposed its ballot measure to require Council approval for mayoral appointees. In 2024, the mayor’s most recent commission put forward five ballot initiatives, with voters approving four in November. Critics described this effort as a hasty attempt by City Hall to consolidate power and undermine the City Council’s authority, which had earlier suggested a ballot measure to mandate council approval for the mayor’s appointments. Be sure to be on the lookout for the first two public hearings set for February, followed by additional sessions in March and April.
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Adams keeps talking about making NYC a place where families can thrive, but what’s actually being done to make housing affordable? Reforming the charter means nothing without real change.
Charter revisions should be about making NYC more livable, not just pushing through development without accountability.
also we have to remember that without stronger tenant protections, rezoning just leads to more gentrification!!!
The Charter Revision Commission could be a game-changer if it actually leads to meaningful housing reform. The real question is whether anything substantial will come from it
Public hearings are great, but will community input actually matter? Or is this just a way to check a box before pushing through pre-determined policies?
I think that might be just a “check box” because many people have been angry about housing and so they want to give the public an opportunity to speak but we have no idea how much that’ll matter
I like that they’re trying to streamline zoning laws, but I hope this doesn’t turn into a developer free-for-all. NYC needs affordable housing, not just more luxury condos
This is an ambitious plan, but if Adams really wants to help families, he should focus on expanding rent control and tenant protections, not just rezoning
Yeah tenant protection is a big thing because we don’t want landlords to just kick people out randomly and leave them homeless
Zoning laws should have been simplified decades ago. It shouldn’t take 15 years to get a development approved
That’s exactly the problem because it slows everything down, and by the time a project is approved, the housing crisis has only gotten worse
It low-key might be because of the 400-page charter. That’s a lot of reading and editing that needs to go through
they need to streamline the process for sure but they also need to take our community’s voices into account but 15 years is a bit too long
It’s wild that housing availability determines so much such sa where people can live, work, and send their kids to school.
housing should be a right and not a privilege but I guess not considering how many families are homeless
this part confuses me because we take housing for granted so I assume it should be a right. When I was younger, I thought everyone lived in houses even bears lol
I wonder if this Charter Revision process will get blocked by the same political infighting that always stalls real change in NYC
possible if the City Council and the mayor are at odds, and housing policy is usually is debated by many
The 2019 Charter Revision barely did anything to fix ULURP imo 🙁
This process should focus on making it easier to build truly affordable housing, not just opening allowing for big developers to see this as an opportunity to increase their wealth
Agreed, more housing is good, but if it’s just market-rate luxury apartments, it won’t help the people struggling the most
it wouldn’t make sense for the rich to take the opportunities for the poor because they need it the most
It’s frustrating that zoning changes take 15 years while developers can push through luxury condos in no time.
I’m glad they’re holding public hearings, but let’s be real…how much influence will everyday New Yorkers actually have?
hopefully more than we think because it’s our city that we live in
Personally, I think Richard Buery has a solid track record, but will the Commission actually listen to public concerns (that’s the real question) because I was just wondering if it would be worth going to
It’s good that they’re engaging all five boroughs. Too often, Manhattan and Brooklyn get all the attention while the Bronx and Staten Island get left behind.
I agree as someone who lives in Manhattan. Oftentimes, I feel like Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan have been focused on so much that I forget about the Bronx and Staten Island