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Q&A
Explanation of housing needs data and unit size distribution
1:45:42
·
3 min
Commissioner Ahmed Tigani provides detailed information on housing needs and unit size distribution in New York City, based on the Housing Vacancy Survey. Council Member Eric Dinowitz expresses concerns about the lack of larger units for families with children.
- Data shows 62% of all households and 66% of renter households comprise only one or two people
- The current housing supply skews towards larger units, with only 39% of all units and 48% of rental units being studios or one-bedrooms
- Tigani explains that term sheets are designed to meet the needs of smaller households while acknowledging the demand for larger units
- HPD is launching a pilot program to assess the cost and impact of creating more two and three-bedroom apartments
- Dinowitz argues that the current approach doesn't adequately serve families with children, especially in areas near schools
Ahmed Tigani
1:45:42
So sir, just one point, as a fair housing point.
1:45:45
When we build housing in The Bronx, it's also available to people in Brooklyn and Queens.
1:45:49
When we build in Manhattan, it's available to people in Staten Island.
1:45:53
So we create housing to meet what the citywide need is for housing.
1:45:57
And I agree with you, more two and three bedrooms are needed.
1:46:00
It's the reason why as part of the mayor's state of the city, we're looking at the ability of expanding the number of two or three bedrooms in our finance projects.
1:46:17
We will be we are actually launching a pilot to see what the cost and impact and what the delivery impact is of creating more two and three bedroom apartments in certain projects.
1:46:29
But just you asked for data.
1:46:31
And so the Housing Vacancy Survey, a nationally recognized critical data survey that's used to even hold up and support rent regulation in New York City.
1:46:44
You know, when we look at New York City residents, mostly live in small according to our data, mostly live in small households relative to need, the city's housing supply.
1:46:56
So basically we see we have smaller households, but the supply skews the other way.
1:47:02
For all households, owners and renters, 62% of the households comprise only one or two people, but 39 of the units are studios or one bedrooms.
1:47:13
From the renter side, we have 66% of renter households comprise only one or two people, but 48% of the units are studios or one bedrooms.
1:47:22
I think there's a little nuance here.
1:47:24
There are families that are growing.
1:47:25
This is a point in time study, but we do see that we have an awfully lot of individuals who are themselves or a family of two that are having a hard time finding affordable, stable housing in New York City.
1:47:39
The term sheets are designed to try and meet that need.
1:47:43
But we see from a lot of council members that they get requests for larger unit size.
1:47:47
It's the reason why we are adjusting and looking at what the cost will be and impact will be even where if the data goes here, we want to see what the cost will be there, and we'll be doing that in projects coming forward.
Eric Dinowitz
1:46:09
Okay, are adjusting your term sheets to incentivize developers to make more two or three bedroom apartments?
1:47:58
Okay.
1:47:59
Well, I just I want to be respectful of everyone's time, and I do have questions to ask on chair Sanchez's behalf, but there hasn't been a single project as of right development affordable in my district that didn't go through ULURP where they did adjust based on anything other than the term sheets.
1:48:17
It's always thirty percent two bedrooms and the rest the one bedroom of studios meet you know, to create the most number of units, which is great on a press release, but it's not great when the building's down the block from a school and you have families who want to move in and give their kids like a great education at the great schools in our city.
1:48:36
We're not building housing for our families with children.
1:48:40
And so I think it is a real shame that in the budget there isn't more invested in amending the term sheets to provide for our families with children.
1:48:49
I've never seen in my district again any of these affordable developments with anything more than thirty percent two bedrooms, which is the bare minimum on your term sheets.
Gardea Caphart
1:46:31
Yes, please.