Open New York - New York City Policy Agenda 2026 A Mandate for Affordability A Housing Agenda for New York City's Next Chapter

Open New York’s 2026 NYC Policy Agenda is out now!

Here’s how we plan to turn New Yorkers’ mandate for housing into action:

😭😭😭😭😭

Friend: “Andrew, what’s your love language?”

Me:

New Yorkers: After voting for candidates who will fight for affordability on the front of your November ballots, flip↩️your ballot to fight for affordability yourself by voting YES on Affordable Housing Ballot Measures 2-5!

New York is facing rising rents and a historic housing shortage, but Midtown built just 19 new homes last year.

Tell your Council Member you support more housing in Midtown South! @ebottcher.bsky.social @keithpowersnyc.bsky.social
@marklevinenyc.bsky.social

Short Circuit is coming to @yimbytown.bsky.social! A live podcast recording w/ @profschleich.bsky.social @andrewdfine.bsky.social Ari Bargil & @ijsanders.bsky.social in New Haven, CT on Sept 15. We'll highlight recent housing cases & where courts are on allowing people to build housing.

yimby.town

New York’s School Districts Are Shrinking — But Their Financial… New York’s comptroller has flagged 22 school districts as fiscally stressed — up sharply from last year.

The only thing bleaker than the #s in this article is that leaders in Albany have no desire to reverse these trends.

nysfocus.com/2025/05/02/n...

Beyond Skepticism: Data Confirms Auckland's Zoning Reforms Delivered on Housing Promises Three rigorous studies, 43,500 new homes, and a 28% drop in rents: The data is in on Auckland's great housing experiment

Auckland went all in on YIMBY, and the results are clear: 43,500 new homes in 10 years, and rents down 28% relative to peers.
www.population.fyi/p/beyond-ske...

This is to help defend against frivolous injury lawsuits.

(Not this Andrew Fine 🤪)

Austin Rents Tumble 22% From Peak on Massive Home Building Spree One tenant got two months free, $600 credit for signing lease as deals abound

Austin Rents Tumble 22% From Peak on Massive Home Building Spree www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Not only did Austin add housing at 12x the growth rate of NYC, it also built more than NYC in *absolute* terms.

Opinion: Preserving Faith, Building Homes "New York’s proposed Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act offers a practical solution to two pressing challenges: preserving historic houses of worship and addressing the state’s severe housing crisis."

Advocacy alert: As a preservationist, I'm excited about the proposed NY Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, which would remove zoning barriers to housing on religious land, enabling congregations to put unused spaces to productive use.

@citylimitsnews.bsky.social: citylimits.org/2025/02/14/o... ]

😍🤗🫡

Can’t Afford a House? Just Build One in the Backyard. In Toronto, where housing prices are racing ahead of inventory, residents are building homes in their yards and moving their children or their parents into them.

Every ADU article the NYT writes, I’m like “how can this possibly be so controversial in New York?!” It blows the mind.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/r...

Huge residential tower to rise near Javits Center The project will include 1,349 residential units, a 455-room hotel and a permanent home for the Climate Museum.

This reads like a typo but sadly don't think it is.

"Construction should begin in about 3.5 years, and the plan is to finish the residential component of the project first, according to Hochul's office."

www.crainsnewyork.com/real-estate/...

New Renderings Revealed For 655 Union Street In Gowanus, Brooklyn Leasing has launched for 655 Union Street, a 13-story mixed-use building from L+Z Architecture, Avery Hall, and Gindi Capital in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

This was recently a gas station. Nice things are possible when we allow them.

newyorkyimby.com/2024/12/new-...

S.F. has the same housing goals as New York City — which is 10 times its size San Francisco has the same housing goals as New York City — which is 10 times its size. Housing experts wonder if the number is ambitious or absurd.

Open New York Chief of Staff @andrewdfine.bsky.social spoke to the @sfchronicle.com on NYC's City of Yes, and how it compares to SF's new plans.

Why is SF shooting so much higher than NYC? Because California requires them to -- unlike New York.
www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/h...

I feel like Turkish Airlines should hold on any discounts or promotions at the moment.

“Historic”?! 44 W. 8th Street is a POS built in the 1950s. Truly adds nothing to the area — in fact, it detracts! — and should have been demoed decades ago.