Study finds that accommodating future growth and relieving current overcrowding are the biggest drivers of the shortfall among a number of other contributors
Number compliments the goal issued by Governor Hochul; RPA makes numerous recommendations on how to close the gap
New York, NY – A new Regional Plan Association (RPA) analysis examined the remarkable challenge New York State faces to adequately house New Yorkers and plan for population growth over the coming decade. RPA also issued a suite of recommendations on actions the state can take during the coming legislative season, in advance of Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address next month.
The study, entitled Housing New Yorkers and Meeting the Pace of Growth found that New York State–which currently has 8,363,00 units of housing–would require a nearly 10% increase to meet demand in 2032. The largest contributors to the projected need are 226,000 units to relieve current overcrowding and 395,000 units to accommodate projected future growth. Addressing homelessness, replacing stock that will be dilapidated by 2032, and reaching reasonable rental and owner vacancy rates all also contribute to the problem.
“Our analysis shows both the depth of the current housing crisis and the upcoming challenge of meeting future demand,” said Moses Gates, RPA’s Vice President for Housing and Neighborhood Planning. “If New York State is committed to taking bold action to address the severe overcrowding and homelessness that exists around the state we must stop doing business as usual and chart a new course. We have outlined some of the many tools available to the state that would help meet this challenge and make housing in New York more safe, equitable, and affordable. Building more housing will benefit those people facing housing insecurity as well as seniors, people with disabilities, and young people hoping to stay in their communities, as well as employers who are struggling to attract and retain workforce due to the unaffordability of housing in our state.”
To meet this bold and ambitious goal of reaching 817,600 units built in the next 10 years, RPA recommends the following actions:
Legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units: This proposal would allow, as-of-right, one ADU per lot throughout New York State.
Authorizing Transit-Oriented Development Zones: This would require municipalities to zone for, and streamline approval for, multi-family development near commuter rail stations, and possibly major bus stations.
Enabling More Supportive Housing: Sufficient Supportive Housing is a vital component of any housing production plan and both funding and unit goals for supportive housing statewide should be increased, while new regulatory relief should also make it easier to convert existing buildings to supportive housing.
Authorizing Employment-Oriented Development Zones: This would require municipalities to zone for, and streamline approval for, multi-family development near employment centers, including office parks, and possibly light industrial zones.
Reducing minimum lot size requirements: This would allow municipalities to enact a policy that reduces minimum lot size requirements depending on a number of factors.
Eliminating or reducing parking minimums: This would direct municipalities to reduce, and in transit-served locations eliminate, residential off-street parking requirements.
Streamlining permitting: This would establish a process for streamlined approval of affordable housing developments in municipalities that have less than 10% affordable housing.
Authorizing as-of-right mixed-use development zones: This would require municipalities to institute an as-of-right mixed-use development zone of a certain size and capacity, which would permit multi-family residential development in commercial zones.
Submitting a local housing growth and affordability plan: In cases where municipalities do not want to implement any of the above options, they could have the option to submit their own plan to New York State detailing how they will meet their housing need. The state would have the discretion to approve or disapprove of such a plan.
“The Long Island Community Foundation recognizes that safe, quality, and affordable housing is fundamental to our goal of advancing the quality of life for all Long Island residents,” said Sol Marie Alfonso-Jones, Senior Program Officer, Long Island Community Foundation. “More than half of Long Islanders were housing cost burdened before COVID-19; the resulting economic destabilization of the pandemic has left far too many of our neighbors struggling to stay in their homes at best and homeless at worst. Some Long Island municipalities are leading the way on affordable and equitable housing development because they recognize it is critical to our region’s recovery and vibrancy, but so much more needs to be done and we need collective local and regional strategies to meet the needs of our residents.”
“New York’s housing shortage is decades-long in the making and continues to be a serious impediment to economic growth and community vitality,” said Michael Romita, President & CEO of Westchester County Association. “Particularly acute in Westchester and other suburban communities, it remains a shared challenge for our businesses, workers, and local municipalities. The Westchester County Association joins the call for bold, statewide solutions that address both the unintended bureaucratic malaise created by the permitting process, as well as the intractable local zoning and land use restrictions which remain the root-causes of the crisis.”
“A one size fits all single-family zoning on Long Island has made it difficult and impossible for people of different income levels and stages to attain and maintain housing stability,” said Pilar Moya-Mancera, Executive Director, Housing Help Inc. “In most places, multi-family housing and even housing with an accessory dwelling unit are not authorized through local zoning. The need for affordable and rental housing has only been exacerbated in the wake of COVID, the economic downturn, and rising inflation. Our vulnerable populations such as disabled individuals, senior citizens, veterans, single parents, young adults, and low to moderate-income residents--including our essential workers who are the backbone of our economy--are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis. They are in desperate need of safe, decent, and affordable housing. To address the shortcomings in the housing market, our state and local governments need to work together and be intentional and proactive about enacting the necessary policies to rectify this crisis. Our housing crisis can only be solved through cooperation, collaboration, and commitment from state and local governments.”
“Even without RPA’s analysis, it was already clear to any Long Islander that our lack of housing – especially affordable housing – is beyond a crisis,” said Ian Wilder, Executive Director of Long Island Housing Services, Inc. “The methods that we have historically used on Long Island to allocate the production of housing have been failing us all for quite some time. Governor Hochul’s plan to build 8000,000 housing units over the next decade will move us to address our housing deficit. It is past due for us to make a complete overhaul of our antiquated zoning laws to meet our current housing needs. We urge Governor Hochul to adopt the RPA’s policy solutions for housing scarcity toward achieving her housing goal.”
“RPA’s analysis and subsequent policy recommendations support what we at the Long Island Progressive Coalition have long known: solving New York’s housing crisis requires statewide action and each corner of the state has a role to play in constructing more homes for New Yorkers over the next decade,” said Lisa Tyson, Executive Director of Long Island Progressive Coalition. “The housing shortage disproportionately affects displaced, homeless and low-income New Yorkers – an injustice that cannot be ignored. We look forward to working collectively to turn these policy recommendations into legislation, to provide environmentally sustainable and affordable housing for our neighbors in Long Island and across the state.”
“While we have known for a long time that New York has a severe shortage of housing, particularly for low-income renters, RPA’s analysis shows the true scope and depth of the problem,” said Jolie Milstein, President and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing. “This research is a call to action - we need state legislation to increase density and streamline land use approvals not just in urban areas, but in key suburbs and rural areas as well. We can only build 817,000 units over ten years by creating as-of-right pathways for new housing development in all communities.”
“As RPA’s new analysis shows, the State of New York needs a significant number of new homes to be constructed within the next ten years to keep up with expected demand,” said Baaba Halm, Vice President and New York Market Leader, Enterprise Community Partners. “In particular, the state must prioritize the development of affordable housing to increase the supply of homes for lower-income residents and prevent a sharp increase in homelessness and displacement. To make this possible, New York must adopt critical changes to existing land use laws to ease the process of building housing statewide and spur the development of the new affordable homes we need. We wholeheartedly endorse RPA’s list of Policy Solutions for Housing Scarcity and urge Governor Hochul to adopt these measures promptly to ensure that low-income households have sufficient housing options statewide.”
“RPA’s analysis highlights the depth of the need for more housing options across the city and state, especially in places where affordable options are hard to come by,” said Annemarie Gray, Executive Director at Open New York. “Policy failures got us into our unprecedented housing affordability crisis, and bold action from all levels of government can get us out of it. Legislation that ends exclusionary zoning practices, encourages dense housing in transit-rich areas, and ensures all neighborhoods do their part to increase housing opportunities is essential for addressing the depth of the crisis and increasing leverage for renters.”
“New York desperately needs more housing in every single community, who all have to step up and do their part. Governor Hochul recently pledged to create more than 800,000 units of new housing, and now that number has been further validated from this timely research from RPA,” said Rachel Fee, Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference. “To get there, we will need our partners at every level of government to support policies that result in more housing, including land use reforms, dedicated capital streams, and federal tweaks to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.”
“New York state ranks among the worst in the nation in housing underproduction. Governor Hochul’s recent commitment to create 800,000 new homes within the next decade is a testament to strong leadership and a proactive approach to addressing this crisis,” said Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth. “By adopting the recommendations outlined in the RPA report, New York can seize this incredible opportunity to become a national leader in pro-housing policy, and ensure that housing is always an opportunity, never an obstacle, for every New Yorker.”
