RE: Neighborhood Values, NY Post, July 5, 2014
The Real Estate Board of New York’s long history of opposition to the New York City Landmarks Law and LPC is matched by its even longer history of opposition to affordable housing by advocating for higher rents on rent-regulated apartments, de-regulation, and vacancy decontrol, suggesting that it is trying to undermine the former by pitting one public purpose (affordable housing) against another (historic preservation). Because LPC does not regulate use, historic district designation does not prevent the development of new and/or affordable housing on existing soft sites or impede the redevelopment of a designated property into affordable housing units. New York City’s affordable housing crisis is more pronounced in its outer boroughs, where there has been minimal designation by LPC. Thus, the focus on the lack of affordable housing in Manhattan due to district designation trivializes a very complex and serious issue.
George Calderaro, Board Member
Historic District Council
Manhattan Community Board 1