One day after unveiling a plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable housing units in the next ten years, Mayor de Blasio spent the day trying to win support.  His plan would require developers to include affordable units in six rezoned neighborhoods and set aside 10,000 units for seniors, 1,500 for artists, and 1,000 for homeless veterans.  

Another key aspect of his plan would create 11,250 affordable units in Sunnyside Yards, a new neighborhood atop a rail yard in Queens.  But the area is partially controlled by the state-run MTA and Governor Cuomo said today the Mayor's plan is "problematic."

Tonight, residents in East New York are marching to make sure their interests are considered when new development occurs.  And earlier, a coalition of police reform groups rallied to express concerns over Mayor de Blasio's omission of "the urgent need for police accountability" during his State of the City address.  

Given the interest in NYPD reforms the last few months, are you surprised Mayor de Blasio didn't address police-community relations during his State of the City yesterday?  If you live in or near Sunnyside, Queens, can your neighborhood support 11,250 new homes?  Do you support de Blasio's plan to build more affordable housing?

 

Natasha's Thoughts

 

With all the fallout from the police unions, it seems the Mayor didn't want to stir up the issue of police-community relations for fear of backlash.  But, not addressing it at all, and no less in a State of the City address that is meant to sum up a year that was dominated by such headlines, seems odd at best.  

 

Viewer E-mails

 

The MTA is doing construction in the Sunnyside yards for the East Side Access project so the LIRR can take customers into Grand Central station directly, the customers won't have to change trains when trhey get to Penn Station. The Mayor can find a lot of abandon lots and buildings that can be redeveloped for affordable housing within the five boroughs.

Mayor Deblasio should of spoken about the plan he came up with to ease the tension between the police and the community, there are some good officers that work for the department but the commissioner have to get rid of the bad ones first.

Herman

UWS

 

All I can say John is that this mayor is a big bag of wind that is so out of his league.

He has no clue and no class whatsoever for this job and it is hurting this city severely.

We want to know just where do we stand and do we the other half of us the dwindling

middle class are even a consideration in any way at all.

The situation is becoming very scary.  This mayors promises seem to be his

out and meanwhile it always involves real estate.

Somehow/someway/someone has to put the breaks on this madness that

just continues to go on and on endlessly.

A very serious example is that Silver pushed the Pre-K through for DeBlasio and we

have no idea how this is being financed.

I have Cablevision and I received my yearly increase and then there was statement

informing us that they have created a new tax and I believe it was for $1.32 a month

and remember specifically that one of the reasons for this tax included once again is

for education along with a few others that were mentioned.

According to the cable company their hands were more or less tied about this new

tax and that order came from the state.

To me this mayor owes to much to the real estate brokers and so he is just going to 

harp on the affordable housing.  Everyone last night was in unison with one complaint 

or another.

 We all said the same thing but proposed it in different ways

whether it be by twitter. Facebook or via Telephone !!

maxxiee

mp

 

Building apartments specifically for artists? After allowing illegal immigrants into the city, I can see where this affordable housing plan is heading. How  convienent the city rezones areas to suit their interests. NYC did not lift a finger to save Mount Manresa. He should fix the roads first. Hopefully this will be his only term in office. Unless of course he starts throwing money around come election time like Cuomo did.

Roscoe,
Park Hill



Who's going to pay for all this new construction? Taxpayers, of course, via government's picking of the pockets of everyone.

Joe

Port Richmond

 

I recorded and watched the State of the City so yes I am surprised that the men & women in blue were not included, he
needs their support instead of their backs and should be kissing their ass
now after all of that scrutiny they
received in the past.

De Blasio's affordable housing plan sounds good on paper for Seniors, Artists and Homeless Veterans but
will it gain support and will it work?

Tony, Albany

 

Good for them! The other day I heard someone on your show say that wealth should not be distributed.

Because of people like that, protests like this are necessary.

Adio

Far Rockaway

 

The only people who will benefit from the Mayor's big plans are the REBNY, who OWN him.

Frances

East Village

 

There are so many reasons why you have to be either rich or out of your mind to live in NY.
MZ Queens

 

Mr. De Blasio mentioned Stuyvesant Town several times in his State of The City speech, but he has done nothing whatsoever to help the tenants, especially long term tenants, who have been, and continue to be, victimized and abused as the result of one of the biggest Predatory RE scams in the history of this once-great city.

Vickie

Stuyvesant Town

 

Affordable housing is defined and calculable via HUD guidelines based on neighborhood median incomes.

A multiplier applied to area median income determines how much of a mortgage can be afforded That amount added to a 20% down payment determines the value.

That "affordable housing" definition is for purchasing an "affordable home" and those home owners will be restricted from subletting the property they own.

Rental affordability is not defined in this calculation and only restricted by NHCHA and HUD owned properties which are also based on income.

Rental affordability and affordable ownership are 2 different entities.

Homes that were foreclosed by banks and are vacant should be targeted for redevelopment ownership and NYCHA property should be developed to increase affordable rental units.

Sean from Manhattan

 

I'm a long-time resident of Sunnyside, Queens and absolutely do NOT want housing built over the Sunnyside Yards.  Can't we have less populous neighborhoods?  Must every inch of pavement be used for housing?!?  Seems the only ones who want to build are the developers and politicians who get paid by the developers, not the people who actually live there and want some sort of quality of life!  Hands-off!

Emily, Sunnyside

 

I understand what the mayor wants to do but the problem is that the middle house is priced out yet nothing is done for them. I am talking about those folks who would never qualify under the criteria to benefit from these programs the mayor wants to promote but cannot afford NYC. What about those? And these are also hard working. They are only guilty of working hard but not being poor enough. I would like more done for those.

Codou, Astoria

 

Why is everyone always against development -- and this time for affordable housing, which NYC desperately needs to stay a great city. I think this time, the NIMBYs are completely misguided. The history of NYC has always been about change and will always be a work in progress.

 

Why is everyone always against development -- and this time for affordable housing, which NYC desperately needs to stay a great city. I think this time, the NIMBYs are completely misguided. The history of NYC has always been about change and will always be a work in progress.

Gretchen - UWS
 

It feels as if this town has been taken over by greedy real estate people. Why do we have to increase the population by 2 million people? There are no open spaces as things are now. Sunnyside Yards should be left alone. The communities on both sides have endured enough in our service to the city at large. We have the yards, the LIE, BQE, Grand Central and LAGuardia. All of them have destroyed the quality of life here by degrees. Whole neighborhoods are gone, and people still mourn them. The introduction of 11,000 more people, most of them wealthy, will destroy what is here now, and make people who call this home unhappy for the rest of their lives. Why must this part of NY always sacrifice for the greater good? Go increase density somewhere else.

Mary

thrid generation sunnysider

 

I’m surprised Deblasio left out the big issue roiling our city—police conduct, even after  huge protests, he ignored it. Housing is of course crucial also. But he should have mentioned police.

It’s also sad that Bratton cited both the French terrorism atrocities along with the NYC peaceful protests by thousands of citizens when he announced new police weapons and task force. It’s absurd to mention both together. Just what is Bratton’s definition of a threat?

These top officials still don’t get it. Deblasio needs more courage. We need a new commissioner.

Meredith

 

The last thing we need in Sunny side, Queens is 12,500 unit of low income housing all in one location.  Affordable housing needs to be built throughout the city and closer to where the jobs, grocery stores, transportation, infrastructure and services are located.  Whatever happened to the concept of building affordable housing via scattered sites.  Neighborhoods should be a mixture of all incomes, so we can help one another. 

Audrey C.
 

Low income housing is an old concept from the 1960's which gave rise to the housing projects.  I said it once and I will say it again.  The mayor should promote affordable cooperative apartment housing.  When people have ownership of their apartment, the owner will take much better care of the apartment and this helps build up the community.

Gary

Flushing

 

Why do we focus on "Police" community relationships instead of "Community" police relationships. The elephant in the room is not the police, it is how people view them. We can control our behavior and attitude toward the police. If we show them respect and support, we can then ask that they do the same in kind.

Gabriel in Forest hills

 

Affordable housing is a false sense hope. My son, my wife and I got price out of Harlem, we move to Brooklyn (priced out), and now we live in Washington Heights. My wife and I are professionals, but we still have a hard time paying "market price" rent. We have applied numerous time for affordable housing and  we make $1, or $.50. to much. There should be a re-evaluation of what "AFFORDABLE" rent really is!

Nakia

Washington Heights

 

There needs to be much more affordable housing throughout the city.  In an era when hard-working people can work full-time jobs and still fall below the poverty line, a safe and affordable place to raise a family is more important than ever.

Sergio

Lower East Side

 

The mayor has my support

but he is being bullied by the NYPD they are very disrespectful to the mayor which only shows their true colors they are bullies they bully the minority in their neighborhoods the NYPD  have no respect for minorities .

The mayor should suspend with out pay for their disrespectful behavior the NYPD act like a group of communist they are controlling the mayor like a puppet NYPD says the are scared of minorities and they would like to go home every day well the minorities would like to go home also people don’t respect the nypd because of their rude approach ….my fiancé is 6feet pluss tall ,Blackbwith dreads the cops follows him at least 3 times a month on his way home some times more in the train stations on the streets  

Pam

Queens