A group representing dozens of civic and neighborhood organizations across Queens is calling for an investigation into a citywide housing proposal amid federal probes into the mayor and his administration.
On Monday, the Queens Civic Congress released a statement calling for an immediate halt to the City of Yes Housing Opportunity initiative, now in its final stages of the legislative process. The plan, which seeks to upend zoning regulations to encourage more housing to be built, has received sharp criticism from residents and elected officials over the past year.
QCC President Warren Schreiber’s statement, shared on social media, came less than a week after Mayor Eric Adams was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting campaign donations abroad.
“In view of the federal indictment of NYC Mayor Eric Adams by the US Southern District of New York, on Thursday, Sept. 26th, 2024, the Queens Civic Congress (OCC) demands an immediate halt to the legislative process and a thorough investigation into the “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” read the statement.
Members of the QCC argue that the NYC Planning Commission, which recently voted in favor of the proposal last week, is “proceeding in an expedited way.”And amid investigations into over a dozen City Hall officials alleging corruption, they believe the forces behind the initiative need to be re-examined.
In response to news of the QCC statement, City Council Member Robert Holden also insisted that “investigative bodies to take a hard look at this” housing plan.
“We have seen outright opposition to the City of Yes, yet @NYCMayor pushed it forward, leading me to question whether there may be some nefarious motives at play, especially when granting developers carte blanche to overdevelop the city against the will of a majority of NYers,” Holden shared on X.
The housing aspect of the City of Yes plan seeks to build “a little more housing in every neighborhood” to address a citywide housing shortage and mass unaffordability. It would allow for apartment buildings to go up in areas zoned for single-family homes, legalize basement and garage apartment conversions and center new housing around mass transportation to reduce reliance on cars, among other aspects.
Residents, particularly in eastern Queens, have resisted the plan, which they say will destroy the character of their neighborhoods. A recent rally against the plan in Bayside brought out over a hundred locals and more from southeast Queens to hear elected officials slam the plan’s broad-stroke approach.
“QCC’s position is supported by an overwhelming majority of community boards and state/city elected officials,” continued the statement, on behalf of those who collectively oppose “the dramatic and unwelcome changes in the character of our neighborhoods, in particular bypassing zoning regulations and community board procedures.”
The statement is signed soley by Schreiber, who is also Vice President of Community Board 7, which covers Flushing and College Point.
“Mayor Adams and the NYC Planning Commission are proceeding in an expedited way in order to allow massive increases in development and density as-of-right,” he wrote.
“Having conducted a thorough examination of this budget package of zoning changes as well as the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), it is our belief that this statement has been unduly rushed without adequate community input and deliberation,” it continued.
Community input into the planning process kicked off in April, and over the summer, many community boards voted against the plan. In Queens, only Community Boards 1 and 2, located in western Queens, where there is already significant new housing growth, voted in favor.
The City Planning Commission approved the plan last week, the day before news of the indictment broke. Now, the City Council is scheduled to vote on it before the end of the year.
With many city council members in the outer boroughs vehemently opposed to the plan, it’s unclear if a majority vote will prevail. It is also unclear if the legal battles faced by the mayor and members of his administration will affect the final decision on the City of Yes Housing Component.
