Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Housing measures will be on New Yorkers' ballots after board rejects City Council bid
By
David Brand
and
Brigid Bergin
Published Sep 9, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
David Brand
By
David Brand
and
Brigid Bergin
Published Sep 9, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Housing is on the ballot this November — and not everyone’s happy about it.
The city’s Board of Elections on Tuesday approved three questions meant to speed up affordable housing construction and erode the City Council’s authority over land use decisions, despite strong opposition from Council leaders.
The dispute over the ballot questions marked the latest front in an ongoing battle over the separation of powers and development decisions in a city mired in a severe housing crisis.
The provisions were proposed by a commission formed by Mayor Eric Adams and faced an uncertain fate ahead of the vote. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and other members argued that the text that will appear on ballots does not adequately explain to voters how the measures could reduce community input and Council power.
But commission members, and a host of housing advocates who spoke in favor of the measures, said voters should get a chance to decide on changes to the city’s charter that could ease development and chip away at the city’s housing crisis. Fewer than 1% of apartments priced under $2,400 a month are vacant and available to rent, according to the city’s most recent housing survey.
“Housing affordability is the top issue on New Yorkers’ minds,” Charter Revision Commission Executive Director Alec Schierenbeck said following the vote. “It’s no surprise there is excitement for the potential to vote on questions that could change how housing and land use work in the city.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul also weighed in.
“I’m glad the Board of Elections listened to the voices of New Yorkers — myself included — who want to see these critical initiatives brought to voters in November,” she said in a written statement following the board hearing.
The ballot provisions, if approved, would change New York City’s Charter — its governing document — to streamline the development approval process and curb the power that individual councilmembers wield over housing and land use decisions in their districts. The full 51-member body typically defers to the local member when a proposed development comes to a final vote after a seven-month review process.
NYC Board of Elections members and staff voted to add three housing-related questions to the November general election ballot.
David Brand
One question would establish a three-member panel — composed of the mayor, City Council speaker and local borough president — with the authority to override the Council if they reject a land use application.
Another would grant the City Planning Commission the power to approve or deny affordable housing projects in the dozen community districts that have produced the lowest number of new units over the previous five years. Those districts include the South Shore of Staten Island, Northeast Queens and Manhattan’s Upper West Side, according to an analysis by City Limits. The measure would also create a “fast track” approval process for city-funded affordable housing projects.
And a third question would cut the Council out of the review process for “modest” housing proposals, where new capacity is no more than 30% larger than existing rules allow.
In a July report, the Charter Revision Commission wrote that the changes were necessary because the tradition of “member deference” effectively shrinks or kills housing proposals and discourages developers from even beginning the costly rezoning process.
But council leaders have slammed the proposals as a tool to limit community input. They argue the current arrangement allows councilmembers to negotiate with the city and developers to win important investments or benefits for their districts — a power they could lose if voters approve the ballot questions.
The Council could still sue to challenge the board’s decision, but time is running out. The general election ballot must be set by Thursday.
“Trying to deceive voters into giving away their power in a democracy through misleading ballot proposals that hide their true impact is fundamentally undemocratic,” Council spokesperson Julia Agos said in a statement following the board hearing. “We will take action to protect democracy from Mayor Adams’ dishonest ballot proposals.”
Tagged
housing
new york city
David Brand
David is a reporter covering housing for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 908-310-3960.
Read more
Brigid Bergin
Brigid Bergin is an award-winning senior reporter on the People and Power desk. She is fiercely committed to telling stories that help people engage and support democracy. In 2022, she hosted a live, ten-week call-in politics show ahead of the midterm elections called The People's Guide to Power. Brigid's reporting in 2017 included some of the first coverage of a political newcomer now known as AOC. In 2016, she broke the news of a voter purge in Brooklyn just days before New York’s presidential primary, triggering city, state and federal investigations. Brigid also guest hosts The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. She graduated from the University at Albany and the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-723-4719.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .