Build for everyone, not just the poor
Our city’s housing crisis is affecting New Yorkers from all walks of life — including young and old, low-income families and middle-income families, and households of all ethnicities and backgrounds. Our city’s affordable housing efforts must be broad enough to create new opportunities for everyone who is impacted by rising rents.
Of late, plenty of advocates have put pressure on the city, arguing that it is insufficiently focused on driving down rents and producing new units for the poorest among us. “Affordable for whom?” is their rallying cry.
I agree and believe that low-income New Yorkers must be a priority — but we must not forget that our efforts will be stronger and more effective if they are designed to meet the diverse needs that exist in all corners of our city.
That is why the de Blasio administration must not lose sight of the importance of sticking to a mixed-income plan that fully addresses the depth and breadth of the housing crisis.
We must be careful to look at the totality of the issue rather than relying on the lazy perception that communities of color will only benefit from new housing that is exclusively designated for the lowest-income households. While historically underserved communities of color are more likely to require more low-income housing, that is far from the only need that exists in these communities.
As a pastor with a congregation in Crown Heights, I feel compelled to speak from experience.
Each Sunday, I look out from the pulpit and see New Yorkers, born and bred, of diverse ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some come from families that might be considered low-income, some come from families that might be considered middle-income, while some are seniors living on fixed incomes.
The sad reality is that many of them are struggling to pay rent — regardless of whether you might call them “low-income” or “middle-income.” All must be treated as stakeholders in our city’s future.
Think about a teacher in New York City, who, when starting his or her career without a master’s degree, will have an average starting salary of around $54,000. Ironically, while not someone who would be considered among the lowest-income households in our city, we all know he or she will almost certainly struggle to find affordable housing.
That is far from the only example of the scope of the housing crisis. More than half of renters across New York City — including both low- and middle-income earners — are still rent-burdened, meaning that they pay over 30% of their paycheck on housing costs and struggle to afford other necessities.
These include teachers, labor union members, police officers and so many other New Yorkers who deserve greater access to affordable housing.
The bottom line is that while we should always, as a general rule, prioritize resources for those in greatest need, the depth of the city’s housing plan must continue to reflect the diversity of congregations like mine. That means we must do the heavy lifting of addressing a wide variety of housing needs in our communities of color rather than getting caught up in sound bites and short-term solutions to long-term problems.
If we forget this principle, what may end up occurring is an effort, while well-meaning, that only continues the cycles of concentrated poverty that do not actually benefit neighborhoods in their genuine diversity.
It does not benefit a community of color to be seen or defined as a strictly low-income community, and our city should not seek to perpetuate that thinking.
We are stronger when we see communities of color for what they actually are: that is, groups of people that include diverse households from different professions and walks of life. New York City has never been defined solely by those of means; it’s middle- and working-class people and communities of color that provide the backbone and flavor of this great city, and we must make certain that we all have a place here for generations to come.
By moving forward with a plan that takes a mixed-income approach, rehabilitates and maintains the current stock, and creates new homes and opportunities for all those affected by the housing crisis, our city can do more than ever to create a brighter future for low-income families, middle-income families and everyone who makes New York an incredible place to live.