What do the mayoral candidates think of the ‘City of Yes’?

Mayor Adams’ signature “City of Yes” rezoning proposal faces an uncertain City Council vote this week, but the mayor’s potential challengers strongly support the Adams administration’s approach to boosting housing production.

The council looks set to water down the mayor’s efforts to eliminate mandatory parking across the city by creating a three-tier system — a system that will end up creating fewer homes than promised.

Too bad for Hizzoner that challengers Zellnor Myrie, Brad Lander, Scott Stringer, Jessica Ramos and Zohran Mamdani – all Democrats – are not on the Council.

“I urge the council to resist efforts to revise the proposal in any way that would provide fewer homes,” Myrie, a state senator from Brooklyn, published on X following news of the council’s proposed changes. “If we want to build a city where every New Yorker can put down roots, then every neighborhood and every resident has a role to play in supporting more housing. It’s time to build our city up—not water down solutions.”

Comptroller Brad Lander, a vocal critic of the administration, announced his support for the plan in late October. Lander said in a statement that he “supports” the “common sense policy” and highlighted that the unchanged proposal would allow New York to “catch up” with other cities that have adopted policies to reverse exclusionary zoning.

“The proposals will help us catch up with cities across the country working to end exclusionary zoning and additional fair housing goals, correcting dozens of rezonings over the past 20 years that limited new development in neighborhoods with strong access to public services. In particular, allowing new development in transit-rich neighborhoods will help increase New Yorkers’ economic mobility and access to opportunity,” said Lander.

It was a little different than the little hedge Lander gave City and State in his article on this same subject.

“I urge the council to resist NIMBY pressure to trim the proposal and roll back urgently needed housing reform,” Lander told that outlet. “New York City will never pull out of our housing affordability crisis if we continue to prioritize parking lots above homes in transit-rich neighborhoods.” (The differentiation of neighborhoods that would be free of parking mandates versus those that would not is the main “NIMBY pressure” that Lander simultaneously urged the Council to resist).

Scott Stringer, who is also running for mayor in 2021 after serving as the city’s comptroller, told Streetsblog that he is urging the Council to adopt the plan to build more housing in the five boroughs. However, he added that he sees the plan as a small step towards meeting the city’s housing needs.

“(The City of Yes) is ultimately a drop in the bucket. The passage of City of Yes is a small step in the right direction, but let’s not take a victory lap. Ultimately, this minimalist proposal is a small of a long journey to ensure that working people can live and thrive in our city,” Stringer said.

Mamdani, an assemblyman from Queens, showed her support for eliminating parking mandates citywide at a “people over parking” rally in September. The democratic socialist addressed the crowd and called on the city council to get rid of the mandates that force developers to build expensive parking garages and therefore hinder housing production.

“While we cannot solve the housing crisis through zoning actions alone, the ‘City of Yes’ is a good start,” he told Streetsblog. “Every neighborhood needs to be part of the solution, especially areas well-served by mass transit. The council’s recommendations include some important improvements that complement the proposal, particularly around funding affordable housing, investing in infrastructure and protecting tenants . However, I am opposed to changes that will create fewer homes, especially watering down the parking mandate.”

Ramos, a state senator from Queens, had the most nuanced view of the zoning proposal, telling Streetsblog that the mayor hasn’t done enough to ensure the plan’s success and that, in her opinion, the plan was introduced “too late” in his tenure. .

Then she offered a statement that had an air of NIMBY.

“I urge the Council to hold the line and resist any effort to weaken efforts to make our city a place where working families can continue to call home,” Ramos told Streetsblog in a statement. “The urgency of the crisis dictates that we work diligently with community boards to address the necessary units while protecting the character and uniqueness of our neighborhoods.”

But Ramos added that she would vote “yes” to the plan if she were a member of the City Council.

Independent candidate Jim Walden, who on the day he declared for mayor issued a “special message to the media” to promise he would answer questions because “freedom of the press is an essential freedom in our democracy. Period,” has not responded to Streetsblog’s inquiry.