Mayor Bill de Blasio’s $41 billion plan to build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing officially launched today. But one member skipped the gathering to publicly criticize the mayor’s plan.
Tenants PAC treasurer Michael McKee chose to attend a simultaneous meeting of the Rent Guidelines Board, where he called the mayor’s plan “window dressing,” adding that it lacks a specific plan to address vacancy decontrol — the process by which rent-regulated apartments become market-rate, according to Crain’s.
“I literally despair of their whole approach,” McKee said. However, Crain’s noted that rent regulation is controlled by the state.
A de Blasio administration spokesperson responded to the remarks saying, “Preserving at-risk Mitchell-Lama housing and stemming the tide of apartments lost to deregulation are key parts of our broader strategy.” [Crain’s] – Christopher Cameron
