Ousmane Diallo
ENG 110-315D
New York City is facing an affordable housing crisis. Affordable housing is defined as housing that costs no more than 30 percent of your family income. Research shows that more than 11 million Americans spend more than half of their paycheck on rent. The middle and lower classes are having a problem with one of the indispensable things in people’s lives because a place to live is a necessity in human life. There are plans to build affordable housing for New Yorkers; however, those plans are not helping to decrease the homelessness or the struggle the middle and lower income family are facing. so I will be mapping the construction of new buildings in New York City, which can not be described as affordable for middle and lower income family. The impact of the housing crisis depends on income. On one hand, the upper class does not seem to be affected. on the other hand, the middle and lower classes are struggling due to the impact and crisis of affordable housing in New York. It’s evident that lower and middle are more concerned about the housing crisis because they are living the reality of the problem . Although, there is lots of new construction of housing in New York City, the middle and lower classes are struggling with the housing crisis. So affordable housing need to be created more in order to accommodate middle and lower class residents.
New residents buildings construction is in process in New York City; however, many of them are not affordable for middle and lower family income. In the government websites page Housing New York: A Five-Borough, Ten Year Plan by alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor for housing, the City of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio claim “we are laying out a comprehensive plan to build and preserve 200,000 affordable units over the coming decade to support New Yorkers with a range of incomes, from the very lowest to those in the middle class” (page 3). In other words, there are plans for affordable housing in New York City for middle and lower family income. Yet these plan have been in New York and housing crisis did not recently. It’s been years since Mayor Bill de Blasio put forth his housing New York (HNY) plan with the goal of creating affordable housing but the reality proves the city continues to face record high levels of homelessness and an affordability crisis. After all those constructions, still middle and lower classes residents are struggling for housing. The plan exist but seem just not being working.
The struggle of the affordable housing crisis impact the middle and lower classes in New York. In the website curbed.com, the affordable housing crisis explained by Patrick Sisson on May 15,2019 “Nearly two-thirds of renters Nationwide say they can not afford to buy a home, and saving for that down payment is not going to be easier anytime soon because home prices are rising at twice the rate of wage growth”. In other words, the middle and lower classes can not buy a home for themselves and if all they are making are resumed to monthly bill how will they save enough to buy one? Therefore, the struggling will continue in the coming years. Evidence shows that the middle and lower family income spend more then half of their monthly payment on rent. Consequently, high housing costs leave low in come family with little left over for other important expenses. like food, children’s education , health, transportation, closings beside housing these are list of things that may indispensable this situation seems to increase on every aspect because the population is growing and rent are getting higher. Here you will information about housing crisis struggle in New York. https://www.curbed.com/2019/5/15/18617763/affordable-housing-policy-rent-real-estate-apartment
Finding solution for housing crisis in New York City should be priorities because the homelessness, the number of people in municipal shelters each night, affordable housing crisis are increasing. the ignorance for reality of the city’s housing problem leaves a lot of poorest New Yorkers to go whether in shelters or the streets. In addition, the middle and lower income struggle for affordable housing. in the website coalitionforthehomeless.org an article by Gisell Routhies says “Instead of using his housing New York 2.0 plan to build homes for homeless family and individual, he has chosen to squander valuable city resources on the kind high rent apartments that the city is already awes in”. In other word, New York 2.0 plan are building as promised but those building are not at reach of lower and middle classes. the plan could work if they build new limited equity co-op housing , where low or middle income can afford the rent or even buy house. Every New Yorkers deserves a safe and affordable place to live. The market alone is not always able to meet that need, so the government at all levels must work together to help.
Although, many would question whether the affordable housing crisis will impact the whole society of New York or only the family that are concerned. In ” The Next Environmental Revolution by Sarah Williams Goldhogen, she argue that the place we spend 90 percent of our time. like our houses, work places, schools have a big influence or impact in our socio-life, feeling, emotion, even our health. so no wonder why 85% of homeless people have mental health problem. the struggle for affordable housing crisis can lead to depression because you have no ideal when you are going to be homeless. The population are growing imagine the crisis in the coming years.
Works cited
Glen, Alicia. A Five-Borough, Ten-years plan housing in New York. www.nyc.com http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/housing/downloads/pdf/housing_plan.pdf
Sisson, Patrick. Affordable housing crisis explained.https://www.curbed.com/2019/5/15/18617763/affordable-housing-policy-rent-real-estate-apartment
Housing New York: A Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan
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