Bloomberg Administration Preserves, Creates 125K Affordable Housing Units

By: Courtney Gross

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The Bloomberg administration is on its way to completing a seven-year old housing program that so far has preserved or created about 125,000 units of affordable housing. NY1's Courtney Gross filed the following report.

After three decades, Yvonne Adorno's apartment in the West Farms development in the Bronx is getting a facelift. She already has a new bathroom, and she will get a new kitchen, new appliances, new floors and fresh paint on the walls.

"I was very happy, very excited. Change is good. After 35 years it's time to renovate," Adorno said.

New Yorkers' Call On Affordable Housing

Read New Yorkers' thoughts on how the mayor's administration has handled the creation and preservation of affordable housing in the city.

That apartment is one of nearly 125,000 affordable housing units the Bloomberg administration has preserved or created since 2004.

"To put that into perspective, 125,000 units is enough shelter to provide housing for the entire city of Minneapolis. It's absolutely amazing," said Housing and Preservation Commissioner Mathew Wambua.

The program, which was part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election platform in 2009, is about 75 percent complete. It has spurred the construction of units on Jennings Street and in Foxhurst.

Of those already occupied, a third -- 42,452 units -- are in Manhattan and 30 percent -- 37,520 units -- are in the Bronx.

Another 29,683 units are in Brooklyn, 11,571 units are in Queens and 1,816 units are in Staten Island.

When all is said and done, the program plans to save or build a total of 165,000 units by 2014, even in the midst of a down real estate market.

"Even with the headlines of the economy and the challenges, as we are building a base and things are hopefully improving, we've been able to build the housing stock we are focused on," said Deputy Mayor Robert Steel

Of the 125,000 units that have been created under the mayor's affordable housing plan, two-thirds of them have been for preservation or rehabilitation. A third of them have been for new construction.

The administration's emphasis on keeping the city's existing affordable housing does not trouble some advocates, but they still say more needs to be done to ensure more apartments do not go market-rate.

"Unfortunately, we've lost a lot more than we gained or been able to preserve and that's a huge problem," said Emily Goldstein of Tenants & Neighbors.

Back at West Farms, Adorno is glad her apartment is not one of them.

"I think we're one of the lucky ones," she said.