Newly elected City Councilman Rafael Salamanca voted earlier this week in support of Mayor de Blasio’s controversial pieces of legislation for affordable housing and rezoning. Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability, with the addition of some key revisions.
On Tuesday, the Council approved the mayor’s $41 billion plan to create and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade.
“While not perfect, our Community Board members and I are in agreement that these proposals are steps in the right direction to make sure families in our community will have access to affordable housing in the years to come,” said Salamanca.
The Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposals aim to ease the city’s housing crunch by requiring newly zoned residential developments to provide affordable housing. The inclusionary housing legislation will help keep residents of the South Bronx from being forced out by rising rents, Salamanca said, while the zoning component will allow for additional affordable housing for seniors.
The mayor agreed to insert changes to the plan after facing withering criticism from all corners of the city late last year. Last November, all 12 Bronx community boards rejected the proposal, arguing the affordability guidelines set forth in it would keep too many apartments out of the price range of too many low-income residents of the borough.
The original plan offered developers three options: 25 percent of units in new developments to be set aside for tenants earning 60 percent of the Average Median Income; 30 percent of units be made affordable for those earning 80 percent of the AMI; and 30 percent affordability at 120 percent of AMI, without the aid of government subsidies.
But critics of the plan said the rezoning would produce a surplus of new apartments long-time residents around the city wouldn’t be able to afford. Responding to that concern, the Council added a fourth option, calling for 20 percent of units to be made affordable for tenants earning 40 percent of the AMI—about $31,000 a year for a family of three.
The rezoning plan will add provisions for added parking in parts of the city where public transportation isn’t close at hand.
The chairman of Community Board 2 in Hunts Point, Dr. Ian Amritt, expressed cautious optimism about the mayor’s revisions.
“While we have concerns with these plans, Councilmember Salamanca has provided us with the assurance that families in Hunts Point and Longwood will be heard, and that he will work to strengthen opportunities for affordable housing in our community,” said Amritt.
George Rodriguez, the chairman of Community Board 1 in Melrose, similarly stood behind Salamanca in backing the legislation.
“Although this is just one piece of providing affordable housing for all families, this legislation will help provide some new housing options,” Rodriguez said.