Town Division of Housing Preservation and Improvement (HPD) launched the ultimate model of the “The place We Reside” plan on October 2 to adjust to federal truthful housing requirements, in addition to state and native anti-discrimination legal guidelines.
“We’ve constructed on the primary plan from 2020 by participating New Yorkers throughout the 5 Boroughs and turning their suggestions into concrete methods for change,” mentioned appearing HPD commissioner Ahmed Tigani in a press release. “The 2025 plan, guided by the Truthful Housing Framework, builds on that progress and responds to right this moment’s extraordinary housing pressures with new methods and commitments. Collectively, these efforts kind a roadmap we’re already placing into motion to make sure that each New Yorker, no matter race, revenue, age, or incapacity, has the chance to dwell in a house and neighborhood of their selection.”
On October 6, HPD held a press briefing concerning the 114-page publication. The division’s officers pointed to progress made since 2020 and highlighted the Metropolis Council’s passing of Native Legislation 167 of 2023, which mandates these five-year plans whatever the federal authorities.
By the Truthful Housing Act of 1968, municipal governments like New York Metropolis’s should additional truthful housing to qualify for federal {dollars}. The regulation’s anti-segregationist roots addressed Civil Rights Motion-era discrimination in opposition to Black homebuyers and renters. At the moment, the laws tackles the whole lot from faith and gender to nationwide origin and incapacity standing.
Nevertheless, the definition of truthful housing was initially imprecise, prompting the necessity for cities to design their very own roadmaps for combating housing discrimination. The Obama administration later mandated documentation of racial bias patterns and complete plans from cities taking federal {dollars}. Regardless of the primary Trump administration’s later reversal, Native Legislation 167 of 2023 maintains the apply on an area stage.
“Our ‘The place We Reside’ work stems again to that concept of, what does it imply to affirmatively additional truthful housing [and] what’s that obligation?” mentioned Lucy Joffe, HPD’s deputy commissioner for coverage & technique. “Over time, the federal authorities took totally different approaches to making an attempt to really outline that time period and the way it’s been considered since about 2015 is that cities like New York Metropolis need to do a pair various things: place-based methods, plus mobility methods.
“However in essence, mainly what it’s saying is that New Yorkers ought to have the power to decide on to maneuver to any a part of town that they wish to dwell in.”
Analysis from the report relied closely on neighborhood outreach within the 5 boroughs, together with campaigns within the metropolis’s three public library methods in summer season 2024 and in-person workshops in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx earlier this 12 months. Town additionally met with 4 New York Metropolis Housing Authority (NYCHA) heads and advisory boards. By the general public engagement, HPD stories on persisting, widespread housing discrimination amongst protected courses and additional demand for reasonably priced housing and rental help.
In sure neighborhoods, town realized about limitations immigrant renters confronted when asserting housing rights in right this moment’s local weather. To be clear, threatening to name ICE on a tenant is against the law beneath New York Metropolis regulation.
The report recognized methods to bolster town’s truthful housing protections, together with public schooling throughout non-transparent processes like co-op purposes the place discrimination can occur behind closed doorways. There was a selected emphasis on guaranteeing that previously incarcerated folks knew their rights after the Truthful Likelihood for Housing Act went into impact this 12 months, stopping property house owners largely from refusing to hire or promote to somebody on account of a felony file.
HPD’s findings additionally pointed to constructing extra housing and addressed the “geographically uneven” growth for reasonably priced models throughout town: New builds had been usually clustered round outer-borough waterfronts and alongside Manhattan’s west aspect. The report additionally famous that the neighborhoods with the fewest new initiatives boasted a considerably increased median revenue than these with essentially the most new initiatives.
Alongside the report is a extra accessible on-line software for the general public to discover housing, demographical, and emptiness knowledge throughout town that was beforehand solely present in PDF stories and extra sophisticated datasets. The HPD additionally enlisted youth filmmakers to create an 11-minute video about housing discrimination.
“This significant report has already helped spark change over the past 5 years and I do know will as soon as once more assist construct a extra reasonably priced New York Metropolis for the a long time to return,” mentioned Mayor Eric Adams.
