A statement from RPA President & CEO Tom Wright:

RPA is disappointed to hear that Governor Hochul’s proposed New York State Housing Compact has been removed from the state budget negotiation process. Experience from other states around the country has made it clear that the incentive-based approaches proposed by the Legislature will not solve New York’s housing crisis. Wealthy communities will ignore incentives and continue to restrict housing supply, even in locations where it makes the most sense to build.

A successful housing program must include shared responsibility with clear goals for every community and a robust set of options for meeting those goals. Governor Hochul’s proposals would have created that shared responsibility and given communities powerful tools to meet these goals. While there are some positive improvements for expanding housing supply in New York City, such as legalizing basement apartments, expediting office-to-residential conversions and increasing the density of apartment buildings, without shared housing obligations there is little hope for a more inclusive and affordable future for New York State. We look forward to continuing the fight for a shared responsibility solution to our housing crisis in the future.