Categories: New York City
08.22.2013
Democratic candidates address housing only in passing at Democratic mayoral debate
By Rachel Fee, Coordinator of the Housing First! coalition
New York’s Democratic mayoral candidates clashed over an array of issues this week at the first of several televised debates. The debate, though substantive in many ways, didn’t include a single question on affordable housing or homelessness.
This came as a surprise to us at the Housing First! coalition. In pre-debate talk shows such as WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show and The Call on NY1, callers expressed repeated concerns about the state of affordable housing in New York City. There’s a growing frustration among families who are being priced out of their hometown and spending far more than they can afford on housing. Right now, 33% of New Yorkers spend more than half of their income on rent. For low-income families, that figure is 66%. That kind of rent burden forces families to make difficult choices between rent, food and medicine each month. And too many families are not able to keep up, as evidenced by the 50,000 New Yorkers who sleep in homeless shelters every night.
In the midst of this housing crisis, the lack of questions on affordable housing was a disappointment. It was encouraging, however, that several candidates discussed affordable housing without any sort of prompt.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner each highlighted affordable housing as a solution to make NYC more equitable for all.
It seems that the mayoral candidates are talking much more about affordable housing in this race compared to previous election years. Much of this talk appears to be more than lip service -- candidates are offering concrete plans to increase housing development, create a more effective response to homelessness and address the many challenges at the NYC Housing Authority.
Perhaps even more striking is that this discussion isn’t limited to the mayoral race alone. Earlier this week, NYC comptroller candidates Scott Stringer and Eliot Spitzer each offered solutions to address NYCHA’s capital back logs and dysfunctional management. Several of the candidates for public advocate have also said that affordable housing is one of their top priorities. Housing remains a hot topic for NYC Council candidates as well.
Let’s keep this conversation going until the election, and then help our officials put their words into action in January. If your organization hasn’t yet endorsed the consensus plan for affordable housing put together by the Housing First! coalition, please endorse online today at our website. It is the first step you need to take towards action.
Photo caption: Ruth Fremson/The New York Times