You don't preserve a city's character by making it impossible to build homes. You preserve it by making sure the people who work there, study there, and grew up there can still afford to live there.
Open New York
@opennewyork.org
Grassroots nonprofit fighting for more homes for all New Yorkers
Open New York had two big wins last night: @elinorthrup.bsky.social in NYC and Demond Meeks in Rochester! Plus, sixteen pro-housing incumbents are headed back to Albany. New Yorkers want real answers on the cost of living, and building more homes is one of the best we have.
The Hudson Valley is facing the same housing challenges as the rest of New York: rising costs, not enough homes, and too many people being priced out of the communities they love. That's why we're excited to endorse @Evan Menist for State Senate in District 39!
This is great! We need housing everywhere. And the Council could more than double this by approving 460 permanently affordable units at Monitor Point this month.
If you live in lower Manhattan and housing affordability is your top issue, vote Ryder Kessler for Assembly. He's the only candidate on the right side of solving the housing crisis. His opponent Jeannine Kiely is misleading you about her record. 🧵
Mayor Mamdani wants to build more apartments near transit — and to do that, he’s talking about updating the city’s zoning code by building on one of his predecessor’s most-ambitious efforts. nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/06/01/m...
Mamdani's Housing Plan Builds On 'City Of Yes' — But It's Thin on Taking on Parking Minimums - Streetsblog New York City
The mayor's new housing plan opens up the door to fix issues with the last citywide rezoning, like getting rid of parking mandates.
nyc.streetsblog.org
From coast to coast, cities and states across America show that building more homes and increasing supply are the key to lowering rents and improving housing affordability:
California YIMBY@cayimby.bsky.social · 2mo agoSan Diego built more apartments per person than any CA metro last year—and rents fell 2.2%, dropping the city from 5th to 12th priciest nationally. www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/05/13/s...
Hey all, if you're looking for plans for Pride, why not come out and help @opennewyork.org endorsee Ryder Kessler? We'll be doing some canvassing near Stonewall--see where it all began! Sunday, June 14, details here: www.mobilize.us/opennewyork/...
Canvass for Ryder Kessler! (Pre-Pride Picnic) · Open New York
Join us to canvass for housing champion and longtime ONY member, Ryder Kessler! Ryder is running for State Assembly in District 66! After we canvass, we will head over to Central Park for our 4th ...
mobilize.us
THREAD: @mayor.nyc.gov housing plan is out, and it embodies the kind of all-of-the-above approach to affordability that Open New York has long been advocating for: building more homes, preserving existing housing, protecting tenants, and using every available tool to make New York more affordable.
Some exciting rumblings from Albany today signal we're close to a budget for NY — and that it'll include SEQRA reform. Moving these reforms forward means we can balance protecting the environment and building homes near transit. We look forward to the final budget!
THREAD: Today, we’re proud to announce our 2026 endorsements for the New York State Assembly and Senate. This slate of 21 pro-housing candidates is ready to take on the housing crisis in Albany – and win.
Big news: our Executive Director @annemariegray.bsky.social has been named to City and State's NYC Power 100! 🎉🥳 This is no surprise to anyone who’s worked with Annemarie - she’s helped change what’s politically possible on housing and built ONY into a true grassroots force across the state.
This was in our 2026 New York City Policy Agenda! It’s great to see it moving. NYC is putting $4B in pension funds towards financing housing — exactly the kind of scale we need to actually get homes built. Thanks to @nyccomptroller.bsky.social for his leadership.
Office of NYC Comptroller Mark Levine@nyccomptroller.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe’ve got BIG news: $4 billion for housing across all five boroughs. NYC Comptroller Levine is launching a major new initiative to finance housing in NYC. It’s going to help us build and preserve the homes New Yorkers need.
Join Open New York later this week for our Member-wide Chapter Meeting! We’ll share chapter updates, project announcements, and hear from special guest Dan Garodnick, former Director of NYC Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission.
We proudly support legalizing and building more housing in and around cities where people live to make them more affordable, so that we can simultaneously preserve our forest land and other natural habitats for generations to come. This is why SEQRA reform is so necessary!
Regional Plan Association@rpa.org · 4mo agoAs we head toward the end of budget season in Albany, a reminder that SEQRA reform isn't just about housing — it's about protecting forest land, too. https://rpa.org/news/lab/the-land-conservation-benefits-of-modernizing-new-yorks-seqra-process
“This endless paperwork forces beleaguered developers to sometimes return to square one on a particular aspect of the review and, as a consequence, desperately-needed housing is years delayed and significantly more expensive, serving no one, and certainly not the environment.”
From putting a strong housing team in place to launching the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track and pushing SEQRA reform, this administration is making it clear that the housing crisis is at it's root a housing shortage. Our Executive Director Annemarie Gray on Fox 5:
.@keithpowersnyc.bsky.social is right: We can protect the environment and build the homes New Yorkers need, but not if projects are stuck in years of review and litigation. Modernizing SEQRA is essential to tackling the housing shortage and building a greener future. www.amny.com/oped/its-tim...
Op-Ed | It’s time to modernize SEQRA to ensure responsible development
It’s time that New York modernizes SEQR and meets the mission to build new housing, reduce delays, and deliver world-class projects.
amny.com
And, later, in 1961, God delivered unto Andrew Berman the little known 11th Commandment: Thou shall never build a new building from Canal to 23nd, running from the Hudson to Lafayette.
Open New York@opennewyork.org · 4mo agoSince 1966, historic districts have steadily expanded to cover much of Lower Manhattan. As more areas are covered, new housing is effectively banned there, driving displacement and higher rents.
It's "curious" how so much more history apparently happened in Lower Manhattan instead of Harlem. The truth is that only a handful of sites, like Stonewall, need protection.
Open New York@opennewyork.org · 4mo agoSince 1966, historic districts have steadily expanded to cover much of Lower Manhattan. As more areas are covered, new housing is effectively banned there, driving displacement and higher rents.
From DM Bozorg: “Our state policymakers in Albany have an opportunity to make a real dent in the housing crisis. Reforming the state’s environmental review process sounds wonky, but it is fundamentally about a critically important question: whether we are able to deliver a more affordable city.”
Environmental regs must speed new homes
New York faces a dire affordability crisis. It costs far too much to live here, and the biggest expense for most New Yorkers is housing. The Mamdani administration is laser-focused on creating a more ...
nydailynews.com
Since 1966, historic districts have steadily expanded to cover much of Lower Manhattan. As more areas are covered, new housing is effectively banned there, driving displacement and higher rents.
We fought hard for the 2021 Gowanus rezoning, and it’s continuing to deliver beyond all expectations. Great to see more homes and more open space on the way!
Shoutout to @feathersmcg.bsky.social and all of the other “faceless bureaucrats” who are working toward a future with more affordable housing 🫡
“Alec, I’ll take NIMBYest states for 500”
Open New York@opennewyork.org · 4mo agoThe current 12-game Jeopardy champion works at an affordable housing finance agency in NJ, and shamed New York for not building more housing: "NJ's doing really well, we're ahead of NY, CT, PA. If you're from one of those states, shame on you, build more housing."