Community opposition killed another several hundred affordable-housing units this week, as a City Council land-use subcommittee nixed a rezoning plan for Lenox Terrace in Harlem.
The plan would’ve allowed construction of five new 28-story towers with more than 1,500 units, plus retail space. A third of the apartments would’ve been allocated for affordable housing. Instead, the site owners say they can build four 20-story towers as-of-right but without affordable units.
Meanwhile, it now looks impossible for Mayor Bill de Blasio to hit his citywide affordable-housing goals because too many of his own rezoning proposals are getting shot down.
Following its tradition of giving local members the right to veto zoning changes, the City Council has denied rezonings in Bushwick, Long Island City, Flushing and Hunts Point — after opponents railed against gentrification and the potential displacement of the poor and long-time residents.
People don’t like the idea of rapid, drastic changes to the longstanding character of their neighborhoods. It takes a full-court press to overcome that, but that task is now beyond this mayor.
Maybe he can’t: Ever since he largely abandoned the city to chase his presidential hopes, the City Council has increasingly treated him as a lame duck.
Or perhaps he can’t be bothered, because he’s too busy figuring out how to support his family after he leaves office.
Meanwhile, the progressive supermajorities on the council and in the state Legislature keep passing laws that force units off the market. Expect the city’s housing woes to grow worse.