After Community Criticism, de Blasio Defends His Affordable Housing Plan

With community boards across the city voting against City Hall’s affordable housing initiative, Mayor de Blasio is taking a stand.

De Blasio’s spokeswoman, Karen Hinton, says the mayor’s surgery on Friday was a success.

According to the memo, de Blasio, 54, will resume his public duties on Sunday and will return to City Hall on Monday.

“My job is to put what I regard as bold and forceful proposals on the table, and then, of course, we listen to and work with all stakeholders, and when we think there’s an important adjustment to make, we make it”, de Blasio said. He touted three endorsements in recent days, from labor unions SEIU 32BJ, the Hotel Trades Council, and from the AARP, which represents senior citizens. “We know that. What we’re talking about is a different approach to development”, de Blasio stated. The plan stipulates that developers must construct affordable housing before building market rate units.

Community advisory boards across the city are rejecting his plans.

“I don’t blame people who haven’t seen it before for having tough questions. We are going to act”.

If the mayor was in pain Thursday, he didn’t show it.

GOLDSTEIN describes his experience in searching the websites of the NY stations and finding “friction and disappointment”.

“It’s going to happen anyway”, Mr.de Blasio responded, arguing that development and gentrification was coming to these neighborhoods with or without his affordable housing requirement.

She noted the Council has set aside “millions of dollars” more to help residents who believe they’re being pushed out of their rentals fight back with legal services.