Governor's Reckless Plan for Penn Neighborhood Again Rejected By Manhattan Community Board 5

NEW YORK, NY (01/18/2024) (readMedia)-- The End Hochul's Hoax coalition applauds the decision by Manhattan Community Board Five last week to reject Governor Kathy Hochul's real estate proposal for the neighborhood surrounding Penn Station. The Governor's "General Project Plan", or GPP, would override New York City's zoning laws to hand 18 million square feet of expensive office and commercial space to a major campaign donor for development-blocking thousands of units of urgently needed affordable housing in the area. The Community Board resolution, which was approved with near unanimous support, cited New York City's pressing housing shortage and criticized the Governor for ignoring the community's proposal for housing in the area.

"For more than two years, the Governor has attempted to force a reckless real estate scheme on the Penn-area neighborhood despite active resistance from community members and housing advocates alike. Community Board 5's resolution rejecting her plan is yet another confirmation that the Governor's real estate scheme is completely unserious and does not meet the needs of the community. If the Governor is truly committed to addressing New York's housing crisis-as she claimed to be during her State of the State address-then she must abandon her shameless plan for unnecessary luxury towers and instead prioritize a comprehensive, housing-first proposal," said Diana Gonzalez, Executive Director of New Yorkers for a Better Penn Plan.

The Community Board resolution comes just days after Governor Hochul delivered her State of the State address, where she repeatedly called for increasing New York's housing supply while supporting a plan that continues to block construction of thousands of units of affordable housing today.

Background

In December, members of Community Board 5 joined a coalition of residents, small business owners, housing advocates, the Office of the New York City Public Advocate, and other organizations to launch "End Hochul's Hoax", a campaign formally demanding that Governor Hochul abandon support for the plan and instead stand with her constituents by focusing on a plan for the area that delivers affordable housing in the neighborhood.

Hochul's plan currently prohibits any affordable housing from being built on most of the land owned by Vornado and requires less than 2% of the total footprint be used for affordable housing. The deal also provides minimal public space, and includes few considerations for mass transit. Her defense of the plan is especially egregious given the acute housing shortage in New York City, where the city's housing stock continues to decline. Governor Hochul is right: New York needs housing now, and the State must do everything it can to deliver on that. Hochul must stay true to her word and stop blocking the creation of housing that New Yorkers need now.