Opinion: Real New Yorkers Embrace Diversity and Community

“If we don’t pass City of Yes—a common sense set of policies that encourage housing production and prioritize people over cars—we will let the unreasonable and provincial mindset vocalized by Paladino win.”

I moved to New York eight years ago, drawn here by the bustling sidewalks, the deep sense of community, and the world-class public space. Where I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, getting to nearly everything I did outside of my neighborhood required a car. After stints in Boston, Oklahoma City, and New Haven, I knew what I valued most in a home: density, walkability, robust public transportation and lots of opportunity for community and culture. New York City promised that in spades, as it has done for centuries of newcomers from all over America and the world. New York is a city of immigrants who have helped make it the vibrant, beautiful place it is.

But that quintessential New York City quality was called into question last month, when I testified at a City Council hearing in support of the City of Yes Zoning for Housing Opportunity text amendment. Councilmember Vicki Paladino stalled the proceedings to publicly condemn me as an outsider. She claimed that, as an Ohio-born resident, I was not welcome to be involved in shaping the future of the city I have called home for eight years. It was a revealing and stark reminder of a narrow mindset that threatens everything that I, and millions of others, cherish about New York.

Making change in New York City is always going to be hard. But I’m dismayed at the anti-outsider rhetoric surrounding City of Yes’ goals to encourage more housing, more affordability, and more dense, vibrant neighborhoods. Councilmember Paladino’s comments reveal a disturbing truth: much of the opposition to livability policies is not about well-meaning concern for New Yorkers or a difference of opinion about best practices; it’s about signaling a closed-door policy. They’re implying: newcomers, you’re not welcome here. And this opposition wants to block our neighborhoods from being as inclusive as possible. It’s a minority opinion— in fact, 81 percent of New Yorkers support the City of Yes policies for more housing—but it’s a dangerous and scary one. 

New York City has always welcomed people of all stripes and backgrounds. Nearly 40 percent of New Yorkers were born outside the country and many more come from other places within this country. But our current housing affordability crisis is making it increasingly difficult to survive here, and it hurts Latino, Black and immigrant New Yorkers the most. City of Yes will make it easier to build housing, including affordable units and shared housing models that serve diverse needs and lifestyles. I support City of Yes because I want everyone to have housing, regardless of birthplace, social status, or income level. And I especially support lifting parking mandates within City of Yes because I cherish the walkability and street-level vibrancy that New York City provides to its residents. It’s one of the best and most uniquely “New York” things we have. 

Paladino’s attack feels especially illogical because her vision of New York seems to prioritize cars and driving—something I’d associate much more with my life outside the “big city.” New York is a city of diversity in both people and place—some areas are less dense and less transit-rich than others and that’s part of what makes this city great. But still, every neighborhood deserves to have the option to take convenient transit or feel safe on their streets, especially since the majority of New Yorkers do not own cars. Certainly if there could ever be a measure of “real” New Yorker status, it is not opposing diversity and walkable neighborhoods— two things New York City is literally famous for.

Paladino’s comments aren’t just out of touch, though; they are harmful and cruel. No New Yorker should ever be told to go back where they came from, or that their voice doesn’t matter. City of Yes will help ensure that newcomers to this city have the foothold they need to become part of our diverse and vast community.

The opposition to City of Yes is the antithesis of what I believe New York City should be, and this vitriol should serve as a wake up call to all of us. Blocking housing for newcomers and fighting against affordability and diversity is a nasty business. If we don’t pass City of Yes—a common sense set of policies that encourage housing production and prioritize people over cars—we will let the unreasonable and provincial mindset vocalized by Paladino win. 

I aspire for my home to include a multitude of opinions and life experiences, and to provide a rich variety of options for getting around. That’s why I moved to New York, and that’s why I’ll keep fighting for neighborhoods that welcome and care for everyone. I’m asking every councilmember to consider their vote carefully and what’s at stake. City of Yes is popular and will help ensure that current and future neighbors have the best shot at making it here. We must stand up to exclusionary and unwelcoming perspectives that aim to close off opportunities for newcomers. We’re better than that, and our future as the great melting pot depends on it. 

Jackson Chabot is the director of advocacy and organizing for Open Plans.