Sign up to Newsletters

Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

Mayor Eric Adams announcing the new directive at a press conference Tuesday.

David Brand

David Brand is a senior reporter/editor covering housing and homelessness. Prior to joining City Limits, he served for three years as the editor of the Queens Daily Eagle, a daily print newspaper covering the World’s Borough, and has written for The Nation, CityLab and Gothamist. He is the co-host of City Watch, a one-hour weekly program on radio station WBAI. Before his career in journalism, Brand worked as a licensed social worker.

Health and Environment

Adams Orders Forced Removals of People Deemed Mentally Ill, While Housing Remains Out of Reach

David Brand | November 29, 2022

The mayor issued a directive to the NYPD, emergency medical services and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene empowering them to “involuntarily transport” people experiencing acute mental health crises to hospitals, even if they do not present an immediate threat to themselves or others. But it remains unclear where they will go for continued assistance and housing after they are discharged.

Podcasts

City Watch: Live Next to a Vacant Apartment? This Housing Group Wants to Know

David Brand | November 28, 2022

In the absence of specific data, the housing organization Open New York has launched a project asking everyday residents to crowdsource the locations of vacant apartments—rent-stabilized and unregulated units alike—to paint a more complete picture.

Housing and Homelessness

‘No Recording’ Policy in City Shelters Draws Backlash From Residents and Advocates

David Brand | November 23, 2022

The new regulation could have a “chilling effect” on advocacy by residents who use photos and videos to show proof of problems inside New York City homeless shelters.

Housing and Homelessness

Won Greenlights 3,200-Unit Astoria Development, Paving Way for Council Approval

David Brand | November 21, 2022

The latest version of the Innovation Qns plan features 1,436 income-restricted apartments, around 45 percent of the total. “We have set a new precedent for building affordable housing on private land,” the neighborhood’s Councilmember Julie Won said in prepared remarks ahead of the vote.

Government

Building in Bushwick? Councilmember Lays Out Priorities for Rezonings

David Brand | November 21, 2022

In a document issued Monday, Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez laid out her priorities for any new development that requires changes to the zoning code in one of the city’s most intense real estate markets. Under the City Council’s informal tradition of member deference, local members have effective veto power over land use applications in their districts.

Housing and Homelessness

Empty Rent-Stabilized Units in NYC Decreased This Year, as ‘Warehousing’ Debate Rages

David Brand | November 17, 2022

The latest vacancy data now mirrors pre-COVID figures following a “pandemic-height outlier,” according to New York State’s affordable housing agency. The number of empty apartments also matches the vacancy rate prior to landmark 2019 tenant protections that landlords blamed for the spike in empty units last year.

Housing and Homelessness

NYC Pilots ‘Housing First’ Plan for Handful of Homeless Adults

David Brand | November 15, 2022

The program run by the organization Volunteers of America-Greater New York has been called a positive first step, though the 80 units represent a sliver of New York City’s vacant supportive housing stock.

Housing and Homelessness

The Price of Those Randall’s Island Tents? The Comptroller Wants to Know Too

David Brand | November 13, 2022

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander called the short-lived tent complex a “debacle” for humanitarian and financial reasons.

housing and homelessness

Mayor Adams to Shut Down Randall’s Island Tent Complex for Asylum-Seekers

David Brand | November 10, 2022

The site has capacity for 1,000 people, but has seen relatively few visitors while continuing to encounter intense criticism from immigrants rights advocates and members of the City Council. Residents will be moved to a Manhattan hotel next week.

Health and Environment

40% of NYC Food Stamp Applicants Left Waiting for Benefits, Data Shows

David Brand | November 10, 2022

The city’s Human Resources Administration (HRA) failed to promptly process four of every 10 applications for the benefits during fiscal year 2022, when the rate of timely processing plummeted from about 92 percent in fiscal year 2021 to just over 60 percent.

City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and equip communities to take action.

Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.

About Us

Topics

Podcasts

& Video

CLARIFY

© Copyright 2022, City Limits