Posted on January 17, 2019 by Elizabeth Kim in Gothamist Gothamist, By Elizabeth Kim In what is becoming an annual victory lap, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday once again congratulated his administration for breaking another record for affordable housing: a total of 34,160 affordable homes financed by the city in 2018. The milestone failed to win over some housing analysts, and especially the city’s main homeless advocate. In August, an analysis of de Blasio’s housing program found that while it represents an improvement over Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the administration has failed to reach many New Yorkers who are most desperate for affordable housing. By all accounts, the city is currently in the throes of a housing crisis, exacerbated by high rents, weakened rent laws leading to the de-regulation of tens of thousands of rental units, and near-record levels of homelessness.
