Build back a bit more

Mayor Eric Adams and buildings commissioner Eric Ulrich kicked off a new commission Sep. 14 that will recommend structural improvements aimed at accelerating permitting and speeding up construction in New York City.

Over a 90-day period, the “Adams Commission” will convene labor and industry leaders to examine buildings department processes and deliver a list of recommendations to the mayor and city council. The department is looking to improve response times and remove unnecessary regulatory hurdles. In short, Ulrich said, the creation of the commission marks the start of a “wholesale rebuild to the way we do business.”

The announcement of the commission came a day before housing officials released new data showing a dismal rate of new affordable housing construction in fiscal year 2022. In one year, the city added just 16,042 new affordable units through various incentive programs overseen by the department of housing preservation and development – the agency tasked with increasing the city’s affordable housing supply and enforcing quality standards. By comparison, HPD reported 28,326 new affordable units in fiscal year 2021.

“Amid a worsening housing emergency defined by soaring rents and a massive housing shortage, we are disappointed to see a 43 percent decline this year in the production and preservation of affordable homes for New Yorkers,” said the New York Housing Conference in a statement.

Asylum seekers
on cruise ships?

Mayor Eric Adams responded to questions from reporters Monday about rumors that he is considering placing asylum seekers on cruise ships, an idea Legal Aid and the Coalition for the Homeless quickly lambasted. They said it would impede access to jobs and raise potential public health issues.

The New York Times reported Monday the mayor’s chief of staff, Frank Carone, has discussed the possibility of housing migrants aboard an oceanliner with at least one major cruise company.

In response to questions from reporters Monday morning, Adams said his administration was looking for “creative ways to solve this man-made humanitarian crisis.”