Mayor Adams issues executive order to unlock city land for affordable housing development

Mayor Eric Adams announced today the issuance of Executive Order 43, which mandates that city agencies conduct a thorough review of city-owned and controlled land to identify potential housing development sites. With a staggering rental vacancy rate of just 1.4 percent, the Adams administration is committed to exploring every avenue to deliver the affordable housing desperately needed by New Yorkers.

This initiative is a key part of the administration’s ambitious goal of constructing 500,000 new homes by 2032.

“If there’s any land within the city’s control that has even the remotest potential to develop affordable housing, our administration will take action,” Mayor Adams stated. “To solve a generational affordable housing crisis, we must bring new innovative ideas to the table and activate all city agencies, whether they are directly involved in creating housing or not, to help deliver for New Yorkers. Today’s executive order is one of the many ways we will continue to exhaust every option to meet this crisis head on and fulfill our pledge of building 500,000 new housing units by 2032.”

First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright emphasized the significance of the order, saying, “Today, we take a significant step forward in our mission to tackle New York City’s housing crisis head-on. By directing city agencies to review and assess all city-owned and controlled land for potential housing development, we are unlocking new opportunities to build more affordable housing where they are needed most. This is a crucial component of our broader strategy to deliver 500,000 new housing units by 2032 and to ensure that every New Yorker has access to safe, affordable housing.”

Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer added, “Today, this administration doubles down on its commitment to address the city’s historically low 1.4 percent vacancy rate and use every tool in our toolkit to deliver the housing New Yorkers deserve. Building off our ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal and wins in Albany to increase housing production, this whole of government response will allow us to develop underutilized land. I’m grateful for every agency doing their part.”

The executive order establishes the City Housing Activation Task Force, which will include representatives from various mayoral agencies and public entities. This task force will be responsible for reviewing city-owned land to identify potential sites for housing development and will develop guidelines to ensure agency policies promote housing production. All locations deemed suitable for housing production will be considered, provided they do not disrupt essential municipal operations.

Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Louis A. Molina, expressed support for the initiative, stating, “As our city faces a critical affordable housing shortage, we are proud to be part of this innovative, all-of-city approach to tackling the problem. Through an intensive review of city-owned and controlled land, we’re committed to leveraging every asset at our disposal to contribute to this ambitious goal of 500,000 new homes by 2032.”

Education and housing are intertwined, according to New York City Public Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, who remarked, “Today’s announcement is a significant step toward making our city affordable for all New Yorkers, including the next generation. We want families to raise their children in our city and send them to New York City Public Schools, and this executive order helps us work toward that goal.”

The executive order also received praise from various city officials, including NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue and FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker, who highlighted the importance of balancing housing development with maintaining green spaces and ensuring public safety, respectively.

With a proven track record of investing in affordable housing, the Adams administration has committed a record $26 billion towards housing capital in the current 10-year plan. Recent initiatives include a $500 million investment from the Battery Park City Authority to build and maintain affordable housing and the reopening of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program after nearly 15 years.