Eric Adams reserves more NYC affordable housing for veterans, city workers in surprise announcement
Mayor Eric Adams was set to announce Thursday a plan that would give preference to city government workers and military veterans for an increased number of Big Apple affordable housing units.
The number of new or existing units with a preference for municipal workers and vets will double from 5% to 10% as part of the city’s Housing Connect Lottery program — and it’ll be the first time that military vets will get preference in the program.
“As a lifelong public servant, I know first-hand the sacrifices that our city employees make every day to keep our streets safe, teach our children, help families save money, and deliver every day for 8.5 million of their fellow New Yorkers,” Adams said.
The mayor was set to make the announcement at a virtual town hall meeting he was scheduled to host for city workers, some who are required to live in the five boroughs.
“We want to make sure the public servants who power our city can afford to live in our city, which is why we are going to double the city’s affordable housing preference for our extraordinary city employees.
“But we’re not stopping there,” the mayor said. “Too many military veterans still struggle with housing insecurity. If you served our country abroad or on a military base, you should be able to find an affordable place to live back home; that is why we are going to make military veterans eligible for these homes as well.”
Under the program, residents can apply for lower than market rent housing in homes financed by the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Housing Development Corporation.
More law enforcement officers who reside in the city makes Big Apple neighbors safer, the head of the union representing NYPD detectives said.
“More public safety personnel nearby, more protection for the citizens we serve because none of us is ever truly off-duty,” said Scott Munro, president of the Detectives Endowment Association. “We support Mayor Adams’ initiative.”
Adams is pushing his housing agenda — such as the “City of Yes” zoning change expected to build 80,000 new homes over 15 years — as New Yorkers face record-high rents and a housing supply crunch.
On Monday, Adams proposed construction of 3,000 new homes at a marshy, abandoned Flushing Airport site in College Point, Queens.
Hizzoner is also running for re-election on an independent ballot line this fall, in what polls indicate is a long-shot bid against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. Other candidates include Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawyer Jim Walden.