“Allowing new housing development—in conjunction with other measures to protect tenants and make New York more affordable—is how our city can survive and thrive in the years to come.”
Jarrett Murphy
An affordable housing construction site on 127th Street in Manhattan, pictured in 2019.The recent news that New York City is on track to build just 11,000 new homes in all of 2023—less than half of 2022’s total, and a fraction of what is needed—underscores the depths of our city’s housing crisis. I know that change can be daunting, and it’s understandable that some community members may feel unsettled by new developments and rezoning efforts.
However, empathy for these concerns must be balanced with the stark reality of our situation. Believe me when I say that housing is the top issue on my constituents’ minds—of all the phone calls, emails and letters my office receives, nothing else comes close. That’s why I hope the city approves a proposal to build desperately-needed housing on an industrial site owned by the Arrow Linen Supply Company in Windsor Terrace.
In the Brooklyn neighborhoods I represent, housing has become scarcer and less affordable for lots of reasons in the past few years. Pandemic-era tenant protections have lapsed. Sluggish and more costly development, exacerbated by inflation and supply chain woes, have led to fewer new construction starts. Deed theft—a pernicious crime that robs longtime residents of their property—forces Black families out of their homes. Smaller units that could house more than one family are often combined to make a single, larger home. And many apartments, including rent-regulated and affordable ones, simply sit vacant.
New York needs a comprehensive, “all-of-the-above” approach to relieving the enormous pressures felt by renters and owners alike. Last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul laid out a comprehensive plan to increase the supply of housing across the state, especially here in New York City. The plan wasn’t perfect; I might have omitted some elements while strengthening others, but it was at least a starting point for further conversations. I was disappointed we couldn’t reach an agreement in 2023, but we must renew those conversations this session.
It’s clear that massively expanding housing supply, combined with strong tenant protections like Good Cause Eviction, will increase affordability for everyone and relieve pressure on already-scarce housing. That’s why I support a proposed rezoning of Arrow Linen’s building in my district, which could allow at least 244 new housing units to be built on an industrial site located in one of the least affordable neighborhoods in the city.
In the past, many rezonings have focused on lower-income communities of color, raising legitimate concerns about affordability and gentrification. This has led to uneven growth across my district. Between 2010 and 2020, over 3,300 new housing units were added in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and Crown Heights North gained more than 4,100. In Windsor Terrace, that figure is just 268, and in six of those years the neighborhood actually suffered a net loss of housing.
So when an opportunity comes to allow more people to live in neighborhoods south of Prospect Park, we should seize it. Giving more people of every race and income level the chance to live on nearly 300,000 square feet of available real estate feels like a no-brainer.
The proposed site on Prospect Avenue is within easy walking distance of multiple public transportation options and new protected bike infrastructure, and is only a few blocks from Prospect Park. And the community hosts some of the most desirable public schools in the city, in a district where enrollment has declined in recent years. Besides the income-restricted affordable housing included in the proposal, even the market-rate housing proposed on the site would alleviate some of the pressures of gentrification and displacement in other parts of Brooklyn.
I’ve heard the perspectives of a handful of community members who raise concerns about the proposed height of the project disrupting the character of a largely low-rise neighborhood. I’m open to changes in the size or scale of the proposal, but the simple fact is: we simply can no longer concentrate new development in lower-income neighborhoods while ignoring the need for housing everywhere else. We must step up and do our part in ensuring that there is sufficient housing for all.
New York faces a massive affordability crisis that threatens to shrink our population, which in turn will shrink our tax base and lead to further service cuts. Allowing new housing development—in conjunction with other measures to protect tenants and make New York more affordable—is how our city can survive and thrive in the years to come. If we want to build for the future, we must overcome our fear of heights.
Zellnor Myrie is a member of the New York State Senate representing Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens and Windsor Terrace.
16 thoughts on “Opinion: Build Housing Where We Need it Most”
Thank goodness. Rents are out of control in the neighborhood and this is a rare opportunity to build housing that doesn’t displace a single resident AND removes tons of truck traffic from our streets. Thank you Senator Myrie for supporting our community!
When you say apartments are “sitting vacant” while claiming we need more housing. How about addressing the ACTUAL issue? How is it my rent can legally be raised 3 years in a row over 25% a month? This is what is casuing displacement, the fact that the government doesn’t care about putting limits on how much property management companies can take advantage of tenant. Also, there will be nothing “affordable” about this housing. Most all of these build affordable housing projects require an over 70k annual income OR the qualification requirements force people to spend 35 to 40% of their income on rent, which in turn just keeps people living in poverty level circumstances.
I strongly oppose this rezoning, 7 stories? Sure. 13? Utterly ridiculous for the area Senator Myrie.
The majority of people I know in Windsor Terrace support housing in the neighborhood, what has gotten most of us up in arms is 13-floor towers! Compromise is the only way to get to “yes.” Like the State Senator, I too believe in changes in the size and/or scale of the proposal. The subject lot is large enough to for 8 or less floor structures that would be compatible with other structures in the area (Bishop Boardman, as an example). Windor Terrace is open to affordable housing (I’m open to income-restricted housing too!!!!). But, two 13-floor towers, complimented with two 8-floor and two 6-floor structures on the same lot is a NO for me and many of us. We need, rational, reasonable, and right housing in Windsor Terrace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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It sounds like you are misunderstanding what your constituents are telling you – we are not against development of apartment buildings on Arrow Linen lot….we are against a re-zone allowing a 13-story high building! And you falsely assume that lower-income families want to live in a 13-story highrise as well. There is a perfectly good apartment building going up across the street from Arrow Linen site right now – why can’t Arrow Linen site be sold to a developer who will do the same? What’s more Sen. Myrie, one does have to wonder why your opinion is more in line with large for-profit developers instead of in line with your own constituents?
The proposal for a 13-story building in this neighborhood is insane and completely out of character. As a long-time resident of the street Arrow Linen is on, I don’t get the sense that neighbors oppose redevelopment of the site. They oppose an out-of-proportion “luxury” apartment building that will fundamentally change the character of their neighborhood and potentially raise everyone’s rent…including current low-income tenants. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who lives in this neighborhood is wealthy.
Furthermore, once this special rezoning is granted, what’s to stop it from spreading to other blocks in this area? Pretty soon it will look like downtown Brooklyn here, in what was once a charming, largely forgotten corner of Park Slope with a great community vibe.
Senator Myrie is clearly putting the interests of developers before his own constituents. It makes you wonder how someone affiliated with the Democratic, a party that is supposed to look out for the little guy, is so aligned with the interests of greedy developers. So much so, that he would take it upon himself to write an opinion piece in favor of their cash grab. Strange days.
How do you know developers will keep their word? They haven’t kept their word for generations and politicians have allowed it which is why we have an affordable housing crisis today. No. Just stop the cycle!!!!! Bring back rent-control!!!! Brink back commercial rent-control!!!
This is all good generic argument for more housing. The cost of real estate is a function of location, as well as the allowed building size / zoning. Yes build housing, but quadrupling the zoning in this one location is bad urban planning. Corruption is happening when zoning is overridden for profit, for developers and politicians. One can argue that there is no planning in NYC, that it is all money driven, and has always been. This works in Lower Manhattan and Midtown, but here? There is no spectacle transforming the neighborhood. Just another generic condo building offering “affordable” housing (for an incomes a multiple of the national median) as a base of truly unaffordable fat cat pads–people who will have cars. The impact will be real for the neighborhood.
Look at the development of the Gowanus, crazy new density at elevation 0. This is the short sighted planning that gets done in BK. We will all pay for this debacle for generations as the flooding gets worse each year. True zero vision, just quick $$.
Changing the zoning for Windsor Terrace from R5B to R6B would add a story to the buildable height of each of the 4000+ houses, creating a democratic increase in density and housing. This would change Windsor Terrace to be more like Park Slope, making the streetscape more like rooms / a better feeling proportion.
But no big profits for the very few, and no shiny object for some politician to stand in front of…
Senator Myrie, It is clear you understand the forces at work with this Spot Rezoning and you have made calculated choice to support it at the expense of your constituents, as it will only benefit the owners of Arrow Linen Supply and the ultimate developer of the site.
This spot rezoning proposal goes way beyond any previous norms. To be clear, the only purpose of this spot rezoning proposal is to increase the value of the land so Arrow Linen can sell it at a massive profit (instead of a big profit based on what its currently worth), followed by an unknown buyer/developer building 100% market rate housing that simply makes the Windsor Terrace neighborhood LESS affordable, as other comparably-sized apartment rents will also certainly rise as a result. If your aim was true your efforts (and constituents) would be better served by a thoughtful revision of the City’s 2005 citywide contextual rezoning, as opposed to supporting community-killing spot-rezoning cash grabs.
So far, you may have only “heard the perspectives of a handful of community members.” Did you consider asking your constituents about this issue before writing your OpEd? Did you or your staff attend any of the community meetings on this issue attended by over 400? Please know we want more affordable housing for all, but if this spot rezoning is approved you will hear from many, many more residents of the district who will not forget your betrayal when we return to the ballot box.
Time and again we’ve seen developers make promises of affordability and then those promises have been broken. I moved from Gowanus to Windsor Terrace and in Gowanus the construction of massive high-rises are over-taxing the social and physical infrastructure of the space, all while doing nothing to mitigate housing issues or reducing costs in the neighborhood. Once again- money in the pockets of developers (who fund politician’s campaigns) and no justice for folks seeking affordable housing.
When I see highrises coming to Windsor Terrace, my new neighborhood, and the bogus definition of what is “affordable” coming along with it, it’s the same red flag. I want to see truly affordable, low-income housing in the neighborhood but I find it hard to believe we’ll get that with a luxury development.
All the people in comments are the definition of NIMBY – “Oh we support building housing and affordable housing but just not here or not now or not this way or not that way”. Don’t listen to them – we need more housing. Luxury, affordable, big, small, I don’t care. Just build a lot of it. Make those towers 20 stories and upzone the whole borough so we can build a whole lotta places for people to stay and bring rent & prices down. If we continue down this path of a million hoops to jump through, “character of the neighborhood”, no-change-at-any-cost, we’re gonna drive *everyone* out.
I pledge to vote for any politician that votes to build and reduce barriers to doing that.
I’d love to see some sort of NYC equivalent to California’s builder remedy. Communities get a target and have to make a plan to hit that target. If they fail to build enough, they lose the right to have a say.
I am a resident of your district, and I want to let you know my concerns with this opinion piece. I support the building of housing people can afford on the Arrow Linen site that fits the scale of our neighborhood. Approving the construction of a 13 story building would be a contemptuous disregard of the concerns of the neighborhood. Arrow Linen’s proposal only makes a difference to their own profits, and does not solve the city’s housing crisis. I am proud to be one of the 1200 community members you mentioned in your opinion piece who signed the petition opposing the inappropriate size of this project. I’m encouraged to hear you say you’re open to changes in the scale of the proposal – that, and an increase in affordability, are all we have ever asked for. I urge you to listen to the voices of the people who elected you to represent them.
Sen. Myrie, I am a resident of your district, and I’m encouraged to hear you say you’re open to changes in the scale of the proposal. If you have been following the community organization around this issue, you’ll see that this – and in increase in affordability – are the only things that folks are asking for. I urge you to listen to the voices of the people who elected you to represent them.
Did you know that there are 65 rent-controlled apartments on the block where Arrow Linen is located? The owners of these buildings are being contacted by speculators and developers since Arrow Linen’s application was submitted. What happens to those residents – who you represent?
Did you consider that the vast majority of market-rate apartments that would be built if Arrow Linen’s spot rezoning proposal is approved will increase the area median income? This will reduce the affordability of the few units of mandatory inclusionary housing in this project, whose rents are based on that area median income.
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposes a comprehensive approach to rezoning that fits in neighborhoods, and offers to address the city’s housing crisis with “a little more housing in every neighborhood”, rather than a small number of spot rezonings that serve only to enrich landowners and developers.
Sen. Myrie, I am a resident of your district, and I’m encouraged to hear you say you’re open to changes in the scale of the proposal. If you have been following the community organization around this issue, you’ll see that this – and an increase in affordability – are the only things that folks are asking for. I urge you to listen to the voices of the people who elected you to represent them.
Did you know that there are 65 rent-controlled apartments on the block where Arrow Linen is located? The owners of these buildings are being contacted by speculators and developers since Arrow Linen’s application was submitted. What happens to those residents – who you represent?
Did you consider that the vast majority of market-rate apartments that would be built if Arrow Linen’s spot rezoning proposal is approved will increase the area median income? This will reduce the affordability of the few units of mandatory inclusionary housing in this project, whose rents are based on that area median income.
The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposes a comprehensive approach to rezoning that fits in neighborhoods, and offers to address the city’s housing crisis with “a little more housing in every neighborhood”, rather than a small number of spot rezonings that serve only to enrich landowners and developers.
Not once does this ill-advised opinion piece mention the height of the proposed towers that will dwarf everything else in the neighborhood. This lie by omission undercuts any credibility I might have afforded our disingenuous state senator.
As a resident of the community, I’m not against building on the site and am not opposed to multiple uses for the site- be it housing for the homeless, assisted living, or truly affordable housing; all fine and valuable uses.
But I am very much against letting landowners or developers rezone any mid-block lot to their liking. Doesn’t that negate the value of even having zoning laws? It effectively renders the 2005 comprehensive zoning laws useless.
That is a recipe for disaster and will destroy the character of so many neighborhoods while flooding them with luxury high-rises. If the city needs to rezone comprehensively to address housing needs and our district has to make concessions, that sounds reasonable to me and is very different from issuing developers a blank check under the guise of housing advocacy. If this goes through, there is no turning back- and no forgiveness for the officials who let it happen.
In the case of Arrow Linen, we have a landowner looking to cash out with a massive windfall just before it severs its ties with the community. How is it even possible to choose their interests over the interests of your constituents who actually live in the community?
I understand the pressure to build affordable housing and the appeal of anything that looks like a win on paper but it’s critical to discern the difference between true housing advocacy and rapacious developers who cynically co-opt the cause. Our housing challenges need to be addressed by a city-wide rezoning plan, as outlined by the City of Yes initiative. At very least, there needs to be a moratorium on spot rezoning until we understand the impact of the City of Yes proposals.
Mr. Myrie, do not let your constituents down, do not succumb to the false choices presented by developers with zero ties to our beloved Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Thank you for raising this critical issue, and for advocating for practical solutions. We need more voices like yours in this discussion. Let’s make sure the city council recognizes the urgency and gives the Arrow Linen proposal the green light it deserves!
The final comment this week on an opinion article from earlier in the month is obviously a plant instead of an actual resident with an opinion, because it links back to this website: https://a-smallworldcup.com/
Again, it does make one wonder why there are “planted opinions” getting involved in a community issue….. groups with money to be made are concerned I guess!