Bill Requires Units for Homeless in City-Backed Projects

As New York City grapples with record numbers of homeless people, city officials have agreed to force developers of designated low-income projects to set aside 15 percent of the units for the homeless. The requirement will be the centerpiece of a bill that has broad support among City Council members. The legislation, which applies to rental buildings with more than 40 units, is estimated to add roughly 1,000 new apartments for the homeless a year, almost doubling the 1,300 apartments that are currently under development.

The original 2018 bill had been opposed by the de Blasio administration as it would have applied to a wider range of development projects. The bill introduced by Councilmember Rafael Salamanca would have required developers to devote 15 percent of apartments for people coming out of homeless shelters for projects of 15 or more units receiving a city subsidy. Now, the mandate will apply only to projects with more than 41 apartments. The bill, which has a veto-proof majority of sponsors in the Council, also requires HPD to provide an annual report on units set aside for the homeless in new developments to the Council speaker and the mayor.