De Blasio Says Lack of Affordable Housing Threatens 'Very Soul' of NYC

In his second State of the City address on Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio said the lack of affordable housing threatens the “very soul” of the city adding, “if we do not act and act boldly, New York risks taking on the quality of a gated community.”

Standing center stage at Baruch College for more than an hour, as photos from the past year appeared in harmony with his remarks, de Blasio explained proposed rule changes, development goals, and new transit options while acknowledging the all but certain opposition he will face.

Relishing the “I told you so" moment, de Blasio drew a parallel to critics of his pre-kindergarten expansion policy last year, and how his administration overcame that through the support of parents, activists and community leaders.

“We proved the cynics wrong,” de Blasio boasted. “When it comes to affordable housing, we will prove them wrong again.”

The mayor's plan was long on a vision for affordable housing. He called for an additional 160,000 newly constructed market rate apartments, along with the up zoning of six neighborhoods for increased height and density that would come with a component of mandatory affordable units.

He also committed $36 million to protect tenants in those areas. Overall affordable housing advocates were pleased, but were eager for more details.

“To meet the Mayor's vision, programs like the Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning and 421a need to create truly affordable housing for all our residents,” said Benjamin Dulchin, executive director of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, ANHD.

Real estate interests were excited by the mayor’s call for more market rate units to be built.

“The Mayor’s call for an additional 160,000 market rate units, above and beyond the 200,000 affordable units the administration plans to build or preserve over the next decade, is bold,” said Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.

Absent from the speech was any mention of Eric Garner, police and community relations and the deaths last year of Officers Wen Jian Liu and Rafael Ramos.

Aides said that decision was made to give the speech a clear focus on the how their affordable housing plan will fight inequality.

“In this speech we wanted to drop the laundry list approach that so many politicians have used over the years and really focus on the thing that is driving so much of people’s lives,” said Peter Ragone, senior adviser to the mayor.

Even those who understood the omission as a strategic decision found it strange.

Councilmember Jumaane Williams said it would have been difficult for the mayor to talk about police issues without the possibility of opening new wounds for the NYPD or protesters, but then added, “since it’s kind of the elephant in the room, he might have wanted to mention it.”