Mayor Eric Adams Announces New Programs To Boost NYC Housing And Extra Money For Homeowners
NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced new programs and grants to create more housing opportunities and get money back to homeowners.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good morning, everyone.
00:03Come on, church.
00:04Good morning, everyone.
00:05Good morning.
00:06All right.
00:07That's how I like it.
00:08I'm Adolfo Carreon, junior, commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation
00:14and Development.
00:16It's an honor to stand before you today as we push forward our mission to expand affordable
00:21housing opportunities across our great city.
00:25Together with Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, and our city, agency, and
00:32private partners, some of whom you'll hear from today, we're making significant strides
00:37toward a more inclusive and equitable New York City.
00:41The housing crisis calls for all hands on deck.
00:46We must harness every available resource, every single innovative idea, and every partnership
00:54we can muster to address the challenges that we're facing today.
00:59This is why today's announcement is so important.
01:03In November of 2023, our agency announced the Accessory Dwelling Unit Plus One pilot,
01:12the ADU Plus One pilot, which laid the groundwork for today's exciting announcement.
01:18This pilot was a crucial first step in exploring how Accessory Dwelling Units can expand affordable
01:25housing options throughout the city.
01:28Today we're excited to announce a suite of new tools designed to further support the
01:33creation of ADUs as part of the administration's commitment to this City of Yes Housing Initiative.
01:41This initiative aims to create a little more housing in every neighborhood, providing more
01:46New Yorkers with safe, affordable, and stable homes.
01:52We're here today because as we continue to push for more innovative, safe, and smart
01:58solutions to confront the housing crisis head on, the Mayor, Mayor Adams, has provided innovative
02:09and unmatched leadership.
02:11It is truly my pleasure to introduce to you the person who has demonstrated to be the
02:17most, most committed advocate, to use all of the tools, all of the ideas, and all of
02:23the resources to build more affordable housing in every single neighborhood of New York City,
02:29ladies and gentlemen, the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams.
02:33Thank you so much.
02:37I was standing behind you, and it dawned on me, not only do we have the largest number
02:42of women in our administration and leadership, we probably have more bald-headed men in the
02:47administration.
02:48You know that?
02:49That is good.
02:50You, banks, the whole crew of me.
02:52We're really excited about this.
02:55This is really, when you do an analysis of this conversation that we're having today,
03:01sometimes in government we speak from these high levels and really detach from the everyday
03:07working people and how what we do really have an impact on them.
03:14And that's why I'm really happy, somebody told me Deval Antonio is here, this is something
03:19that has been dear to you for a long time, and Assemblyman Rajkumar, I'm glad both of
03:25them have joined us as we're talking about this, but this is about Sade, Sade.
03:33Not the singer, but our resident.
03:38When you think about, as we deal with this 1.4 percent vacancy rate that we have a challenge
03:44with, yes, we could put $26 billion into our housing program, which Deputy Mayor Maria
03:49Torres-Springfield was focused on.
03:52Yes, we could expand and make sure that for the first time in history that NYCHA is included
03:58in the housing program, and we have these real wins with the land trust and how we are
04:04thinking differently about building in NYCHA because of the $80 billion deficit that they
04:13are facing.
04:14And we can do so many things.
04:17But we needed Dan to go and come up with a real plan of how do we not only get businesses
04:23back up and operating in an antiquated method that we have been using in this city for a
04:28long time, but how do we go after the number one crisis this city is facing?
04:33There's not one elected official in this city that when they hold a town hall or if they
04:38go into their districts or communities, they don't hear about this housing crisis.
04:43It's a real crisis.
04:44And it's not going to go away by just having bumper stickers or slogans or just stating
04:49that we hear and feel you.
04:51We have to take real action.
04:53But the philosopher was right.
04:55The risk is too damn high.
04:57And we need to do something about it.
04:59And the way you do something about it, Dan has said it over and over again, build more
05:04housing, number one.
05:06And number two, look at our preexistent methods that we can do it.
05:10Nothing personifies that more than ADUs.
05:13How do we have these different accessory dwellings that are ready to go, and we're not willing
05:19to do anything about it?
05:22Let's be honest.
05:23Folks are living in their basements.
05:26Folks are living in their attics.
05:27Folks are living in all different forms of ADUs.
05:31And no one, when you think about it, the senior population, our older adults population, that's
05:37why we're just so happy that AARP is here with us.
05:42I have my AARP card.
05:45But when you think about it, many of our seniors, I think about Deputy Mayor Williams-Ison,
05:50who mom still lives with her, and watching how the way we are changing living, you have
05:58one, two, three generations are still living in families, because it's so expensive to
06:02live in New York.
06:04And to be able to have your son or your daughter be able to live in an ADU as they start out
06:11in life, and as they begin to prepare to live on their own, and to be able to have an older
06:17adult, one of your parents could have lost their spouse, and to be able to have that
06:25parent stay with you and have their own independent living space.
06:29So this is why this is so important, this initiative, will impact the shadaes of our
06:36city that realize they want to utilize the space they have, not only to be able to accommodate
06:43a family member, a loved one, a relative, but also extra income.
06:48Many of our older adults are really struggling to meet the mortgage payment.
06:54They may have lost a loved one.
06:55They may be dealing with retirement and on a fixed income.
06:59This is a way to use their number one asset, your number one asset for people in general,
07:04I believe, but specifically for black and brown people, the home.
07:09That's your asset.
07:10That is your foundation.
07:11That is what you build your entire financial stability after.
07:15So I want to thank everyone for our City of Yes for Housing opportunity.
07:20This is an important initiative.
07:21It's a game changer for our city.
07:23It will open the door to produce 100,000 new homes in the next 15 years.
07:30This is what we believe is crucial, and we wanted to bring our partners on board to engage
07:35in a conversation with them so that they can understand, and to have AARP here with us
07:42means a lot, but also to have the borough president of the largest borough in the city of New York.
07:48If it was a separate city, I think it would be either the fourth or the third largest city in America.
07:53His understanding that we have to be able to house New Yorkers is crucial.
07:59And this is going to clear the way to build the affordable housing we need and deserve.
08:04And from our seniors fighting to stay in their neighborhoods they call home, or
08:09young people struggling to find a living space, this is so important.
08:13So we're proud to announce a new set of policies that would help us build one of the most versatile housing options of all time.
08:22And that's ADUs, or accessory dwelling units.
08:26And many people say, well, what are ADUs?
08:28They are defined as any secondary independent unit on the same property as a primary home,
08:37including backyard cottages and basement apartments.
08:41This is not going to change a neighborhood.
08:42You're not going to see a 14 story building in someone's backyard.
08:48We're not trying to change the character of neighborhoods like in the neighborhood I grew up in, in St.
08:53Albans, in South Jamaica, Queens, but it's about using the spaces to accommodate families in so many different ways.
09:02This is a volume of space that is right now being unutilized and
09:06is not participating in our aggressive attempt to build more housing.
09:11The laws of the past, they currently stand in the way of the reality of today, and New Yorkers want to help.
09:17We want to help New Yorkers build the housing that they deserve.
09:21And we have a few more tools that we are introducing.
09:25A one-stop online portal that will streamline the application and
09:29approval process, and $4 million in new grant funding
09:34to support the plus one ADU pilot program.
09:40ADUs are more than just proven solution to help homeowners stay in place and
09:45families stay in place, they can help families provide a living space for caregivers,
09:50bring in extra income as I indicated, and build generational wealth.
09:55And this is something that really caught my eye,
10:00because a lot of times you hear people talk about no one wants ADUs in their community.
10:05I'm going to thank AARP for their survey of people age 50 and older.
10:11Seven in ten respondents say they will consider
10:17building an ADU for a loved one who needs care.
10:23We want to make sure New Yorkers have that option, that's why it's important.
10:26The only solution in this city right now is to build more houses.
10:30We don't want our loved ones going to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida,
10:34because they can't stay in the city that they built and made possible.
10:39And so we want to ask our partners in the city council to say yes.
10:43We want to ask our community boards not to be afraid of this new adaption,
10:49as Dan has stated over and over, build a little more housing throughout the entire city.
10:56It is unbelievable when you look at our 59 community boards,
10:59ten community boards last year built more affordable housing than 49 combined.
11:05That is just wrong, and it is not fair to everyday New Yorkers.
11:09So as we march on Monday, housing is a right, is a chant.
11:13Let's make sure on Tuesday, we are saying the right should also be in our community in a real way.
11:20So yes, to a little more housing in every neighborhood.
11:23Yes, to building a future for both our grandchildren and grandparents.
11:26And yes, to ADUs and the opportunity they offer.
11:31This is how we're going to fight and push against this city not being affordable and livable for every New Yorker.
11:37And we did a great job in Albany with our lawmakers in Albany to get our housing packages passed.
11:45We want to thank you, Assemblywoman and those others who were there.
11:49And the support of our borough president around the city of Yes was crucial.
11:54And to have Councilman Reynoso and other borough presidents who joined us and
12:00sent the right message that we understand that housing is a crisis, a crisis that we can turn into opportunities.
12:06And it starts with our ADUs as well.
12:08Thank you very much.
12:12Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
12:17Now we're going to hear from a great leader, someone who championed the rights for older New Yorkers.
12:24Her work at AARP has paved the way for countless older New Yorkers to live more comfortable and safely in our city.
12:31It is a pleasure to introduce you to the New York State Director of AARP and my friend, Beth Finkel.
12:44So good morning, everyone.
12:46I want to thank you, Commissioner Carrion, for that introduction.
12:50There are 1.3 million older adults in New York City across the five boroughs.
12:57I really want to thank Mayor Adams.
13:00You hit all my talking points, Mayor, for inviting me here today,
13:05because AARP is dedicated to ADU's accessory dwelling units.
13:11I want to thank the Borough President of Brooklyn.
13:14Yeah, thank you.
13:19My Spanish accent is the worst, the worst.
13:22And New York Assembly Member Raj Kumar.
13:25I also want to thank New York State Homes and Communities Renewal Chief of Staff, Kathleen McCadden-Benjamin.
13:33And Deputy Mayor Springer, who has been out there so often helping older adults.
13:39Executive Director Brozorg, for your dedication and support.
13:45And Dan Garodnik, who I've known for so many years.
13:48So thank you all for the work that you do.
13:50A special thank you to Saeed Sin for sharing her story,
13:55because it is really at the essence of why we're all here today.
13:59Older New Yorkers, as so many New Yorkers are struggling, but older New Yorkers are hit even harder.
14:06They are on fixed incomes, they're struggling to pay their rent, and they're struggling to pay their other expenses.
14:13And we need to make sure that this older New Yorker population, who by the way,
14:18in the last census from 2011 to 2020, that number grew in New York City by 36%.
14:26The number of 65 plus in New York City grew by over 36%,
14:30while the under 65 group declined by 2%.
14:35So we need to make sure that we're taking care of those older adults and we're looking after their needs.
14:40So those needs are only going to grow.
14:43The impact on older adults obviously expands way past housing, and that's why I'm here today.
14:49Because people want to age in their own homes, in their own communities, with their neighbors, with their families nearby.
14:56They built these communities, and they want to be a part of them in their later years.
15:01And I ask you to think about if this was your own mother.
15:04If this was your mother, and she was struggling, and you wanted to make sure she could stay in her own community.
15:10And there was a way to do this by building an accessory dwelling unit for your mother, or your father, or any other loved one.
15:17And make sure you can keep an eye on them, so you can sleep at night not worrying.
15:21And it goes the reverse, too.
15:23Maybe it's your mother who has the home, and then is able to put an accessory dwelling unit in there, so that you are there.
15:31You're there when she needs you.
15:33And this is a great opportunity, ADUs, this is what we love about it,
15:37because it gives New Yorkers the freedom to downsize and
15:42or to have their loved ones nearby where they can depend on them.
15:46And without ADUs, caregivers will continue to struggle.
15:50They won't be able to sleep well at night, and when they're at work, they're going to be keeping, is she okay?
15:56So we know that family caregivers are the backbone of the long-term care system in this country.
16:02And we know that they need a lot of help.
16:05The caregivers, by the way, here in New York, the average caregiver, and there's 2.2 million of them here in New York State.
16:11They're paying out, out of their own pockets, after-tax dollars, over $8,000 a year to look out for their mom and dad.
16:19So we need to continue to support them, because without them, more people are going to go into institutional care.
16:24And you know what, we all pay, because that drives up the Medicaid bill,
16:28because that's who pays for most, well, overwhelmingly, the number of beds in nursing homes.
16:34So I just want to say that it's so important that we, again, keep older Americans,
16:40older New Yorkers, aging in place, they have a vital role in our economy, by the way.
16:45You keep them in the neighborhood, guess what?
16:47They're going to the supermarkets, they're going to the bodegas, and they're going to the local drugstores.
16:52We need to keep them there.
16:53Like the mayor said, we don't want them to take their Social Security and pension checks out to other states, right?
16:58Spend it here and help your local economy, because that's exactly what it does.
17:02We're not taking that money and moving it offshore.
17:05So let's help them stay right here.
17:07We owe it to them.
17:08They built this city, and we owe it to them.
17:15Thank you so much, Beth.
17:17Thank you very much.
17:19It's now my privilege to introduce Kathleen McCadden-Benjamin.
17:24Kathleen is the Chief of Staff at New York State Homes and Community Renewal.
17:29And I want to personally, and as Commissioner of Housing for New York City,
17:34say thank you for your leadership and your financial support.
17:40In initiating the Pilot Plus One ADU program,
17:47footnote, we launched in November, the application period was a few months.
17:53In just about the first month, we had 2,800 applicants.
17:57And it's only 15 slots.
17:58So now we're able to expand.
18:00With the help of the state, you heard the mayor talk about an additional $4 million.
18:05That's all Kathleen.
18:07So we're excited to build on this success.
18:09Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, Kathleen McCadden-Benjamin.
18:17Good morning, everyone.
18:18I wish I could take credit for all of these wonderful tools.
18:22But on behalf of my commissioner, Ruth Ann Visnowskis, and our governor, Kathy Hochul,
18:27I'd like to say congratulations to New York City for quickly implementing these tools and getting New Yorkers the housing that they need.
18:34The governor repeatedly will say the cycle of housing is broken.
18:38And we're here to work together with our city partners to make sure we can get the next round of the ADU plus money out the door,
18:45coupled with the tax exemption so people have maximum flexibility for their homes.
18:50It's all about providing the homes that people need.
18:53We're going to have to be innovative.
18:55We're going to have to be creative with our very finite resources.
18:57And I look forward to finding other new creative ways to get in trouble with you.
19:03Let's do it, Kathleen.
19:05Let's do it.
19:06Making good trouble.
19:09Okay, and now, you heard about Sade.
19:14We're going to hear from the person we're really all here for, because she embodies this issue.
19:21There are people like this family all over New York.
19:24People who love the city, who grew up in the city, and who want to stay in New York City.
19:31And we want them here.
19:32These are the kinds of families we want to inspire and support by saying yes.
19:38Not being the city of no, but being the city of yes.
19:42Yes, let's build more affordable housing.
19:46Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Sade Singh.
20:00Hi, everyone.
20:01Thank you, Mayor Adams, for inviting me here today.
20:04I'm truly honored to share my story with all of you.
20:06So, as mentioned many times, my name is Sade Singh.
20:09I'm a homeowner here in Queens, New York.
20:12And my journey to owning a home in New York City has been filled with lots of challenges and triumphs.
20:19Growing up, my family always dreamed of owning a home, but it often fell out of reach.
20:24And the highest cost and complexities of housing really made it feel almost impossible.
20:30So, determined to make this dream a reality, I worked tirelessly and I have made sacrifices along the way.
20:37And returning to New York City was really significant to me.
20:40It's where my roots are, and it's where my family's story began, and owning a home here is really a dream come true.
20:46However, the journey doesn't just end with the purchase of the home, and
20:50the challenges of maintaining a home in New York City can be overwhelming, especially with the financial burdens that it comes with.
20:57The ADU program represents more than just additional housing, it's a lifeline for people like me.
21:02It provides an essential source of income that can make the difference between being able to stay in your home or losing your home.
21:09And for me, it means the possibility of stability and security.
21:14Allow me to just continue to build a life here in New York City.
21:17And beyond the personal impact, the ADU program addresses a pressing issue in our city.
21:21You've heard it here time and time again, the need for more affordable housing.
21:25So it creates opportunities for homeowners to contribute to the community by offering additional living spaces, and it's truly a win-win for everyone.
21:33I appreciate everyone listening to my story today, and I hope it resonates with those who understand the value of community and
21:41the importance of programs that support New York City homeowners, so
21:44people can have a chance to stay rooted in the places that they love the most.
21:55At this time, we're going to take a moment to hear from our elected officials who are here with us today.
22:04We will start with the President of the great borough of Brooklyn, Antonio Reynoso.
22:11Good morning.
22:20As you all know, I am the president of the greatest borough in the city of New York, which is Brooklyn.
22:24I get challenged on occasion, but today we're spreading love the Brooklyn way around the entire city.
22:33For too long, progressives, like myself,
22:38have challenged this mayor to be bold and to be innovative in how we get ourselves out of crisis.
22:45There is arguably no larger crisis in this city than housing.
22:49And Mayor Eric Adams has presented us with the City of Yes, a plan that has all of us contribute one way or another.
22:58It's not about everyone doing a lot, but a few doing a lot, but about a lot doing a little.
23:04And the ADUs are a big part of that.
23:06The ADUs are arguably the most important part of the plan.
23:09In this sauce making, this recipe that the mayor and
23:14Dan Garodnik have put together, we all have to be a part of it.
23:18If you take anything out, it just won't taste good.
23:20It'll be a nasty soup, and we don't want to drink that.
23:24So, I say to all of New York, really think about what we're asking here.
23:29If you own a one family home, we're talking about converting an attic into a room,
23:34we're talking about taking a garage into a studio apartment.
23:39Right now in Bay Ridge, we have one of the largest populations of families tripled up in homes.
23:45Tripled up, that means three generations in a home.
23:47If we could move one of those, maybe grandma, to a studio in the garage,
23:53or move the son into an attic, that makes a difference in their lives.
23:57It gives them more space, it gives them an opportunity to extend their time here in the city of New York in a meaningful way.
24:03Outside of that, we're talking about a housing crisis.
24:07We have 70,000, maybe more, of New York City residents right now in homeless shelters, and we talk about housing being a human right.
24:15It cannot be a human right if you don't build the housing to put people in.
24:18You have to step up.
24:20So unofficially, Mayor Adams, unofficially as a representative of the four borough presidents that all voted for the city of Yes, we're asking everybody to do their part.
24:30When the mayor puts a bold plan together, when he shows up and he starts solving for these problems, we have to show up for him.
24:37So today I'm here representing the progressive arm of the city of New York, but
24:41definitely the borough presidents, and saying thank you to Mayor Gary Adams for
24:46putting his best foot forward here and taking a leap of faith on New York that we can get this done in a complicated way.
24:53To Dan Garodnick, who I specifically told, do something.
24:56He said, I will, and I want to see you there when I do, and I hope he feels like I'm showing up.
25:03But I'm really grateful for this day today, and for the mayor to be having a press conference specifically on ADUs.
25:10The political capital that he is expending to make this happen is meaningful, and we must not forget.
25:16That is deeply important to me, that he's willing to have a conversation with the people that trusted him the most, and say, hey, we got to do our part as well.
25:22It means a lot to me, and it's why I'm standing here to support him through that.
25:25So thank you so much, and don't forget to spread love.
25:27Thank you, Mr. President.
25:35I think the president of the second greatest borough in the city
25:42makes a very important point, which is the political capital that one has to expend
25:49to demonstrate one's support of an issue, and put yourself out there.
25:54And now, it's my honor to welcome, once again, Assemblymember Jennifer Rajkumar.
26:07Thank you so much.
26:09The great Dan Doctoroff, who had big visions and
26:13famously built so much of our city, from the High Line to Hudson Yards.
26:18He once said that we have to rethink how we build cities to make them more inclusive, sustainable, and dynamic,
26:26which starts with ensuring that everyone has access to affordable housing.
26:31So to reach our moonshot goal of 500,000 new housing units in the next decade, we have to be creative.
26:41And I am proud to be one of the leading voices in Albany pushing for these creative solutions for more housing production.
26:49And part of my push in Albany was for these accessory dwelling units, so that we could increase our housing supply.
26:58And I fought to pass state legislation to finance an $85 million pilot program plus one ADU.
27:07And now it is so gratifying to see Mayor Adams and
27:10Commissioner Grodnick putting that pilot program into such action.
27:16This is a true state and city partnership.
27:20And ADUs, as you have heard, are the way of the future.
27:24Remarkably, a few other cities like Seattle are already building more accessory dwelling units,
27:31and they're building more ADUs than they're building single family homes.
27:36And this happened after recent efforts in those cities to revamp regulations to encourage their creation.
27:44Accessory dwelling units, they mean more living opportunities that can enhance our communities.
27:52Imagine a repurposed basement, attic, or suite,
27:56giving a chance to older adults to age in place and
28:01live independently while staying close to those that they love.
28:05Giving the opportunity to young professionals to get their start.
28:11ADUs are truly opening up possibilities in neighborhoods across our city.
28:15So along with the ADU pilot, I have made it a top priority to bring home from Albany
28:21the powers, resources, and funding that New York City needs.
28:25Whether it's state power to allow the city to close the illegal smoke shops through the Smoke Out Act,
28:32or state law to regulate the e-bike industry, whether it's state support for
28:37the city's migrant crisis, or state laws to spur housing production, I am in Albany fighting for this city.
28:45And together as city and state partners, we can do the impossible and make the big visions a reality for this city.
28:51And that is why I'm so proud to partner with Mayor Adams on so many initiatives.
28:57Because true change happens by collaboration.
29:01The greatest moments in government, the historic moments that we live for,
29:06where you really make a difference for the people in a way that will outlast you.
29:12It happens by working together.
29:14And Bill Clinton said it best.
29:16He said that politics is organized for fighting.
29:20But true change happens by working together.
29:23And that kind of partnership is what will take our city to the next level.
29:27Thank you so much.
29:33Thank you very much, Assemblymember.
29:35Thank you to all of our partners who came here today.
29:39This concludes our announcement.
29:41And now, back to the Mayor of the City of New York.
29:44Sir?
29:45Yes.
29:46How are you?
29:47Thanks, and I don't know who can answer the two questions best.
29:51The first is, is there any data or information on how many lots in the city,
29:57blocking lots, could actually add an ADU?
29:59I don't know if there's a limit on that, and especially if you're adding garages.
30:02My second question is for the Assemblymember, all the community board in your district voted against city of yes.
30:07I don't know if you've been speaking, I know some of the city legislators also have been opposed to it.
30:10I don't know what kind of outreach you've been doing in your district, I know you're around the city a lot, but in your district in particular,
30:15what kind of outreach you've done to the community boards to maybe, especially considering your district,
30:19that's the kind of zoning where you have more outdoor, backyard space to add ADUs.
30:25Do we know the number on the blackboard?
30:29So first of all, I think it's an important point that this is an opportunity for homeowners, not a mandate for homeowners.
30:38It is an opportunity that has worked really well for homeowners around the country,
30:43and gives them an opportunity, as we've heard today, to provide housing for
30:49elderly relatives or for New Yorkers, we expect for New Yorkers, who need a home.
30:56We have estimated that about 5% of homeowners would see this as an opportunity that they would take advantage of.
31:06And this is one of the component parts of how we think
31:11that we can build a little bit more housing in every neighborhood.
31:14ADUs are one piece in low density areas, along with town center zoning above commercial corridors,
31:20transit oriented development, modest multifamily apartment buildings on the margins of low density areas.
31:26And so we think it's a really important point, so about 5%.
31:30As for community boards, we are really excited to continue this conversation.
31:35As you know, we've just been through the community board process.
31:38We're now at the city planning commission.
31:41We expect that the commission will be voting in the early fall, then it will be off to the city council.
31:47This is a process, this is an ongoing conversation, and we think that when people understand the opportunity,
31:53when they see what we are presenting to them, and when we really have a chance to make that case,
31:59whether it's the ADU plus one program that has 2,800 applications within minutes or
32:05within weeks for a very small number of choices, the AARP survey,
32:11and also what we have heard from homeowners who are actually interested in this.
32:16This is a great opportunity for New Yorkers, and we look forward to continuing to make that case as we get closer to the city council vote.
32:22Do you have data on the, so 5% pretty much amounts to anywhere from 26 to 40,000 new homes.
32:31So if you look at the total projection for City of Yes for housing opportunity, close to 100,000 new homes over 15 years.
32:38ADUs will make up 26 to 40,000 of that, so that's the estimate.
32:44Real numbers, yes, yes.
32:45And thank you for your question, Kate.
32:47I know we're both Queens women, and so I appreciate you asking about my district.
32:51So I was just with the community board nine leadership, and community board ten actually has actually thrown a whole hearing just around City of Yes.
33:00I went to the community boards and I told everyone, send my office your concerns directly.
33:07And they have done that, it's been a continuous back and forth.
33:10I think that everyone in my district sees the bigger picture here,
33:14which is that we simply need more housing units to drive down the rents.
33:19So it's a continuing dialogue, but I've been very pleased to be able to be a conduit between my Queens district and this administration.
33:26Thanks for your question.
33:27I know they already voted, but they changed, but the CD9 or 10 said, wait, we're going to change it.
33:31I don't know if that's a possibility.
33:33If they're going to change their vote?
33:35Yeah.
33:36I don't think that that's a possibility right now, but thanks for your question.
33:39Julia?
33:40Yes.
33:41Yeah.
33:42Hi, how are you?
33:42Good.
33:43Okay, so what kind of building codes apply to these dwellings, and do only family members live here?
33:51And are you concerned that some of these dwellings would be converted to Airbnb's?
33:57Who's going to do that building code?
34:00Yeah, no matter what change you put in place,
34:05there are those who are going to attempt to skirt the law, we're going to make sure we enforce the law.
34:11We have very clear rules on Airbnb's and how they should be used, and
34:15we're going to continue to be vigilant to make sure that no one takes this important initiative and abuse it.
34:22Okay, DM?
34:24Yes, so just to clarify, what we're doing through the city asked for
34:28housing opportunity with ADUs relates to zoning.
34:32And so all of the relevant fire codes, building codes will apply, that is separate.
34:38We of course have and will continue to make sure that safety is protected.
34:44And as the mayor mentioned, all of the rules related to short term rentals will also apply.
34:51It's not a separate set of rules for ADUs.
34:54But the ability to clear the way from a zoning perspective for
34:59ADUs will be transformational and as an opportunity,
35:05as an option for the types of homeowners that the mayor, Dan,
35:10Beth, from AARP mentioned, we really think will make a huge dent
35:15in our ability to build more homes across the city.
35:18Would this just apply though just to family members or
35:22immediate family lives in this type of situation or-
35:28Right now-
35:28To a stranger or-
35:30Right now, the proposal allows for the flexibility, which we think is important.
35:36But as Dan mentioned, what we're seeing in different cities across the country and
35:41certainly what the data shows that many organizations have put out there
35:47is that these are the types of units that are primarily used to house family members and
35:54caretakers and just the type of flexibility and
36:01additional support in terms of income, etc., that is beneficial to them.
36:05So the uptake that we're seeing across the country is mostly to house family members.
36:10But right now, in terms of the zoning, it's written more flexibly,
36:13which we think is important because preferences change and family situations change.
36:20And we cannot say enough about if, can you imagine living in a home for
36:2440 years on a fixed income, on a retirement salary?
36:29And all of a sudden, things go up and you're about to lose that home and
36:34all the memories that's attached with it and that you have this space that you can convert and get an extra income.
36:40That's a lifeline.
36:42And that's a very real issue.
36:43When I'm out in places like Regal Park, South Jamaica, Queens, Staten Island.
36:49People are saying, I'm afraid I'm going to lose my home.
36:52I'm afraid that I put so much into this home and I want to age in place.
36:57And we are giving people a real way to do so.
37:00And I think AARP really understands that because they listen to the members, seven out of ten, saying they will consider doing so.
37:07It's a frightening experience to think that you're going to lose your home because you no longer could afford it.
37:13We must come up with real solutions for people, and this is one of them.
37:16I'm curious about the numbers of the pilot.
37:20How many conversions have we seen in the city, and what are some of the main challenges we're seeing?
37:23And then, Mr. Mayor, directly for you, sir, I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of your property in Brooklyn.
37:28So is this an opportunity you look at for that, or is it not appropriate for you, sir?
37:32Yeah, well, it's difficult to get to my backyard, you know?
37:37And so, if there's a way to fit it in to do some form of conversion, there's been a lot of conversion in Best Eye.
37:44And that's because Best Eye is one of those areas where you're building a lot of affordable housing.
37:48And that's leading to a lot of the gentrification and displacement because they've been sort of overburdened.
37:54So we're going to look at the options for areas where you do have brownstones.
38:00And I'm not sure if it's open for me, but I won't get any special privileges.
38:06But you want to touch on that?
38:08Yeah.
38:08Okay.
38:12So with regard to the program, we launched the pilot in November of last year.
38:18As I said, the application period was from November 23 to February 2024.
38:26The uptake on the application side was much larger, and there was more enthusiasm than we expected.
38:34Over 2,800 applicants within pretty much the first five weeks, five, six weeks.
38:41So as a result, and that was targeted to 15 homeowners as a pilot, right?
38:48We're testing a concept, testing an idea.
38:53As a result of the enthusiasm, both and working in partnership with the state benefactor, right,
39:02New York State Homes and Community Renewal gave us the initial $2.8 million
39:07to launch and execute on the initial pilot.
39:12We recently received another $4 million to expand the program to 35 homeowners.
39:20There is already a first group of applicants that is working through a process
39:25with our nonprofit partner, Neighborhood Restore.
39:30So they're in the process.
39:33You have to meet eligibility requirements.
39:35It has to be legal in your zone, so it's limited to certain geographies of the city.
39:41And the homeowners will receive up to $395,000 technical support.
39:51We will launch, as the mayor said earlier, an online portal for a one-stop shop
39:59where folks can come in, apply, study the benefits and liabilities of doing this for themselves.
40:09They can really assess whether or not they want to do it.
40:12And then we will give them the tools, the technical tools, including a set of,
40:20it's an online library of plans that have been vetted by the Department of Buildings
40:27so that we can accelerate the process, so that if you as an applicant get approved,
40:33there will be architectural plans that have been examined already by the Department of Buildings
40:39and partially pre-approved, so that you can then hire the firms that submitted those plans
40:46that have been pre-approved, and it will accelerate your process going through the
40:51Department of Buildings.
40:53We all know that it's a challenge to work through that process.
40:59Me as a homeowner, I know it very well.
41:02So having the ability to have all those pieces in place will allow folks to use
41:09a program that is much more user-friendly and faster.
41:13Are any of the 15 done at this point, or is this still in the process?
41:16They're in the process, yeah.
41:17It's obviously a very young program.
41:20Maybe the Commissioner is following up on the same question.
41:22I just want to make sure I get the numbers right.
41:24You're saying it's an additional 35 homeowners?
41:27No, it's now 35 in total, yeah.
41:31And the $395,000, is that reimbursing homeowners for construction costs, or when you say technical
41:38support?
41:39So the technical support will come from us, from the City of New York.
41:45The grant funding comes from the State of New York, and these are grants to homeowners.
41:51Any other questions?
41:54Yeah.
41:56Hi, Mr. Mayor.
41:57How are you?
41:58First, I wanted to know, with these tools and grant funding, I think we've seen other
42:03pilots on this issue where there is funding, but the state regulations are such that you
42:08can't actually do many conversions.
42:10So how reliant are you on additional state changes to actually produce or allow ADUs?
42:18And then secondly, I wanted to get your thoughts on the bill in the City Council that would
42:21require hotels to obtain operating licenses.
42:24Do you support the bill, and what do you think of a big lobbyist benefit?
42:27I'm not talking about lobbyists, right?
42:31That's part one.
42:32First of all, the governor has been an unbelievable partner, and with Speaker Hastie and Majority
42:42Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, it just really has exceeded our expectation on their willingness
42:50to say, how do we solve this problem together?
42:52There's been a real partnership in doing so.
42:55Do you want to—
42:55Yes.
42:58So as is probably clear, it's like a labyrinth to build an ADU in this city.
43:05We just talked about zoning.
43:06You also have to contend with the state multiple dwelling law, and so the support that we got
43:15as part of the package that was won in Albany on housing, specifically related to basements,
43:21is really critical there.
43:23And we hope that starts off with a modest geography.
43:28We hope that we will continue to show that this is useful and effective, and that can
43:33be broadened in the future.
43:36But all of the tools that we got in that housing package will be helpful for the overall housing
43:41crisis, the new 421A, the lifting of the FAR cap, office conversions, and then what I just
43:47mentioned in terms of basements.
43:49So the multiple dwelling law needs to be contended with.
43:53Zoning we're doing locally, not just for basements, but for all forms of ADU.
43:57We're putting together—we're overcoming financial obstacles through this grant program,
44:04which we're testing, and there will be more in terms of support.
44:08But as the mayor and others have mentioned, there's also the hand-to-hand technical
44:12assistance that's needed for homeowners.
44:15And so the one-stop shop will be a real help there because of the detailed guides, the
44:23pre-approved plans, the human contact to make sure that we're helping homeowners navigate
44:29the system.
44:30In its own way, I think the borough president used the metaphor earlier of a stew that we're
44:38trying to cook.
44:38It's the same way here for ADUs.
44:40There are a lot of different tools that we have to make sure work and work in tandem
44:47to make it easier for homeowners in our city, and we're doing just that by the announcement
44:52of these tools today.
44:52Any other on-topic questions?
44:55All right.
44:55Thanks, folks.
44:57Before you leave, I want to—we're doing an off-topic tomorrow, but there was a report,
45:02the CFB report, that came out.
45:07I just want to just address this now.
45:09Number one, it was not 900 pages of report.
45:13Forty-five pages dealt with what we have to respond to.
45:20Eight hundred and fifty-something were documentations with the request.
45:24So it wasn't 900 pages of infraction.
45:26We need to be very clear on that.
45:27And when you read through it, you're going to see it.
45:29Number two was a draft report.
45:31Imagine writing your first rough draft of your news story, and all of a sudden it shows
45:35up in a paper.
45:36You're going to say, give me a break.
45:38You know, let me go through my draft.
45:40How did a draft report get leaked?
45:44Give us an opportunity to look at—we're missing a person's name.
45:48We're missing an address.
45:50Give us an opportunity to respond to that.
45:52I'm really disappointed that this report was leaked without us giving an opportunity
45:58to answer the questions.
46:00So, a draft turned into, you know, is the administration doing—is the campaign doing
46:06something incorrect?
46:08You get a draft report, you looked over it, and then you answer the questions that is
46:13associated with it.
46:14And I think it's unfair when someone produces a draft report that we're supposed to respond
46:21to, and that draft report is leaked by the agency that is supposed to be doing the right
46:26thing.
46:26You know, we're going to follow the rules.
46:28We're going to respond to each one of the requests.
46:30But a 45-page document is not a 900-page.
46:35There are documents that's attached to it.
46:36Please look through it and read it, and you will see.
46:39But, you know, I really question the releasing of a draft report, D-R-A-F-T, draft.
46:47We're supposed to respond to a draft, and that is what the campaign team is doing.
46:52And I just thought it was necessary to report that, because there was a lot of sensationalism
46:56attached to that draft report that was leaked.
47:00And I don't think that follows the proper procedures of how you're supposed to handle
47:06a draft report.
47:07But we'll see you tomorrow.
47:08I look forward to seeing Chris.
47:09I get a warm feeling every time you're at my off-topics, you know, so I look forward
47:13to seeing—
47:14I'm not going to let the findings themselves.
47:16Are they concerning at all, $2.3 million in unaccounted for spending?
47:20You know, I always say this, and this is the most important thing I learned after two years
47:25and seven months and six days as the mayor, that you have to go through the whole process.
47:37Far too often, we get caught up in the beginning of the process, in the middle of the process,
47:43in all of the noise that comes with it.
47:44I said it when we were running—when we were talking about settling the budget, I said,
47:50we're going to follow a process.
47:51We're going to land the plane.
47:52I said it when everybody was saying we were not going to get out deals in Albany.
47:56I didn't go through all of that madness.
47:58I said, we're going to get it done.
48:00And that's with all of this stuff.
48:01When you're the mayor of the most complicated city on the globe, there's a lot of noise
48:07out there, and there's a lot of people that get caught up in the chaos of the moment.
48:12You must have the ability to have a very stable and even hand and be able to manage the storms.
48:20You don't see me on the deck of any ship panicking.
48:23I know what we do, and I know what we don't do.
48:25And whatever questions that are put in front of them, we're going to answer them.
48:28We're going to handle that.
48:29Now, what doesn't happen is after we show that it was a lot of noise, we don't see
48:33the stories that come after and say, listen, it was a lot of noise.
48:37These guys had everything intact the way it was.
48:40So, right now, this is the sensationalism moment.
48:43This is the moment of sensationalism.
48:45If it leads—if it bleeds, it leads.
48:47We've got to write stories that get clicks.
48:49I got all of that.
48:50My job is to show this city we got this, this team behind me and next to me, we're going
48:56to navigate this city out of the crises that we have been facing, COVID, migrants, housing,
49:05public safety, homelessness.
49:07That's my job to do.
49:08And this is just one part of it.
49:10And so, whatever the report states, we're going to answer, and we're going to respond
49:14to it.
49:14And trust me, meditate, take a deep breath, drink a green smoothie, and you can handle
49:20it all.
49:21Thank you all.