NEW YORK — Mayoral candidate Shaun Donovan revealed his housing plan on Inside City Hall on Wednesday night, which, in part, calls for the creation of 30,000 affordable housing units per year and an annual $2 billion investment in repairs to the city's public housing units.

"We need a mayor who actually puts public housing at the center of our housing plan. It's never been part of the city's housing plan before," Donovan said in his interview with Bobby Cuza.

Among Donovan's other promises in the plan:

  • Creating a flexible rental assistance program
  • Expanding housing choices for all income levels
  • Improving the city's housing voucher program
  • Combating the expected eviction crisis stemming from the coronavirus pandemic by finding ways to keep people in their homes
  • Preserving existing affordable housing units
  • Getting more homeless New Yorkers into affordable and permanent housing

According to Donovan's plan, the rental assistance program would be funded by $330 million from a reduced reliance on shelters and getting financial support from the state and federal government. And he promised an annual $2 billion commitment to helping the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) create new affordable housing programs and expand existing ones, with a goal of producing more than 30,000 units per year.

The Democrat also promised to reduce the New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA) operating costs "through energy-efficiency and resiliency investments," and overhauling NYCHA's governance structure in an effort to make it more efficient and engaged with residents.

It's unclear what the total price tag for this plan would be. The city is already responsible for at least $2.2 billion in funding for much of this decade to address issues at NYCHA buildings, such as lead paint, mold, and heating issues, as part of an agreement between the city and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2019 — an agreement hammered out prior to the coronavirus pandemic blowing a hole in the city's budget.

For years, the city has pointed to Washington to address NYCHA's chronic problems, saying it cannot afford to make all the repairs without federal support. For his part, Donovan contends City Hall did not do enough to fix public housing when the Obama administration was providing help. Donovan previously served as housing secretary and budget director under President Barack Obama. Before that, he was a top housing commissioner under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

It's unclear, however, how far these repairs would go to solving NYCHA's chronic problems and aging infrastructure. Although critics have demanded the city do more to help public housing, huge sums of federal funding are needed. The housing authority previously put its needs at over $30 billion, and Donovan pegs the bill even higher.

As a result, the candidate argues his experience in Washington would ensure the next City Hall gets the Biden administration and Congress to pump in huge sums of money to NYCHA.

"I would make sure we'd get the help we need from Washington D.C. Because let's be clear: We have a $40 billion gap in capital to rebuild our public housing," Donovan said in the NY1 interview. "The only way we'll do that is with more city investment, but also getting the help we need from Washington."

Many candidates for mayor have been unveiling bold proposals as they seek to separate themselves in the crowded Democratic primary. Among those platforms:

  • Giving New Yorkers living below the poverty line an average of $2,000 per year (Andrew Yang's proposal)
  • A wealth tax, along with some borrowing authority for the city (Scott Stringer)
  • A temporary tax on New Yorkers making $5 million or more a year (Eric Adams)

As part of her $10 billion capital spending plan, fellow candidate Maya Wiley calls for spending $2 billion on public housing, although Donovan's plan provided a commitment of $2 billion a year solely for repairs.

------

Did you know you can now watch, read and stay informed with NY1 wherever and whenever you want? Get the new Spectrum News app here.

------

Watch the full interview above.

------

Looking for an easy way to learn about the issues affecting New York City?

Listen to our "Off Topic/On Politics" podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | RSS

-

Facebook Twitter