The reality of "affordable" housing is changing in New York, and advocates for renters' rights argued it is time for an update.

For years, affordable housing has been defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as 30% of a person's gross income, including utilities. But the combination of higher prices, recent inflation and stagnant wages has been eroding this formula.

Teresa Watson, housing justice organizer for the nonprofit People United for Sustainable Housing in Buffalo, thinks the definition is lacking because it doesn't account for people with different sources of income.

"When we're talking about seniors, folks on fixed incomes or people who get SSI, SSI checks come in at about $900 a month," Watson observed. "That means if you're paying $300 in rent, which is almost impossible unless you manage to win the Section 8 lottery, you're still supposed to live off of $600."

According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, 963,000 renter households, or about 28% of renters in New York, are considered extremely low-income. The coalition estimates there is a deficit of more than 615,000 available homes in the state for lower-income renters.

Watson believes rather than using catchall solutions, such as low-income housing tax credits for builders, there should be a national reinvestment in public housing, and communities should look for more individualized solutions.

She feels public housing is truly an affordable housing model, but the system needs a serious overhaul.

"The disinvestment has not only made them unsafe and often unsanitary places to live, they haven't been kept up, they haven't been invested in," Watson contended. "They've been stigmatized, they've been overpoliced. But it is the only housing in our country that actually bases what somebody pays on what they make."

In particular, Watson pointed out Western New York is seeing an affordability crisis as rents skyrocket. One issue she noted is existing properties are often owned by out-of-town landlords who base rents on what they can get, not on the condition of the property.

A package of New York City bills can help preserve affordable housing.

The Community Land Act creates more pathways for communities to purchase and control land. Two of the bills would allow nonprofits and community land trusts to make a first offer on any multifamily property or public land up for sale.

Will Spisak, senior program associate for the nonprofit New Economy Project, said the bills help build community wealth and let people have control over their neighborhood's future.

"Renters are no longer kind of at the mercy of these slumlords that often neglect the building, extract wealth from the community, and don't reinvest in the living conditions of those properties," Spisak explained. "It creates a way for people to be directly involved in controlling their housing situation."

He added it also creates opportunities to develop permanent affordable housing. Some real estate developers and investors are opposed to the bills, primarily about the transparency measures of the legislation. Spisak countered tenants are tired of not being in control of their housing and feedback for the bills has been overwhelmingly positive. The goal is to have the New York City Council pass the bills in 2025.

Although opposition from the real estate industry has thrown up some barriers, other challenges loom ahead. Spisak noted aside from public education to ensure people know about the measures, there is also the challenge of providing resources to groups looking to take advantage of the bills.

"We need them to be really efficient with how they get the money out to groups," Spisak pointed out. "As well as making sure community groups have access to other resources such as technical assistance professionals who can assist with doing appraisals, doing inspections, and things like that as well as financial resources."

Another element of the Community Land Act is a resolution saying the city supports the state's Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, which could give tenants the first right to collectively buy their building if and when the landlord sells it. Although housing advocates support it, the bill failed in committee during the previous legislative session.

A new poll shows homelessness is an important issue to voters in Connecticut and nationwide.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness' latest poll shows it is a top issue for voters, behind the economy and crime. Connecticut saw an eight-year drop in homelessness, but the last two point-in-time snapshots indicate it is growing again.

Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said voters across the political spectrum want to address the root causes of homelessness rather than have punitive policies.

"We see folks starting to understand the connection between housing affordability and homelessness in a different way," Oliva explained. "Homelessness is the result of systemic inequities and systemic challenges, and not about individual decisions."

A commonly sought solution for homelessness is building more affordable housing, which elected officials and candidates at different levels of government are discussing. Vice President Kamala Harris is proposing an expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and incentives for builders selling to first-time homebuyers. Former President Donald Trump wants to open federal lands to build more affordable housing and shut out illegal immigrants, though home loans for that population are rare.

However, misunderstandings about homelessness could prevent solutions from being realized. Among voters and elected officials, Oliva noted there are misconceptions about homelessness stemming from a person's choices only, not other systemic issues. She pointed out another misconception is about the connection between homelessness and crime.

"People who are experiencing homelessness are more often the victims of crimes rather than the perpetrators," Oliva stressed. "When those two issues get conflated, it really seeks to dehumanize people who are experiencing really traumatic parts of their lives."

Given how each level of government affects homelessness, Oliva feels the election has high stakes for how the issue is shaped going forward. Since many government institutions might have an assortment of Democrats and Republicans in charge, she said they must come together to develop solutions for ending homelessness.

"We have to find places where we can find some common ground and really educate our elected officials about not only what their constituents want, but what actually works to end homelessness in their communities," Oliva emphasized.


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New York's affordable housing crisis is being made worse by corporate landlords, according to groups trying to reform the system.

The state consistently ranks high for high housing cost burdens on renters and homeowners. The New York State Comptroller reported about 52% of the state's renters have a high housing-cost burden.

Hae-Lin Choi, District 1 political director for the Communications Workers of America, said it can be attributed in large part to big, corporate landlords.

"When corporate landlords roll into our communities, rents spike, hidden fees add up and basic maintenance goes out the window," Choi asserted. "This is not just 'business as usual.' I think what we're seeing is exploitation, plain and simple."

State and federal legislation could rectify the problems, but Choi suggested the political landscape has prevented it so far. She cited federal lawmakers like New York Congressman Marc Molinaro, who are bankrolled in part by real estate companies and have voted down federal affordable housing bills.

At the state level, "good cause" eviction and other tenant protections are working to keep housing costs reasonable.

Some experts feel congressional Republicans are tanking affordable housing efforts under the guise of helping everyday Americans.

Caroline Nagy, associate director of housing for the Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, pointed to the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act. She said the bill, introduced by House Republicans, could have made it more expensive to become a homeowner.

"What this bill would have done is actually order the Federal Housing Finance Agency to increase borrower fees for people who don't have a 20% down payment," Nagy explained.

She added the bill would have decreased borrowing fees for vacation homes and investment properties. All House Republicans voted to support the bill along with 14 Democrats, but it failed in the Senate. Another bill would bring back a Trump-era program beneficial to wealthy investors, at the cost of affordable home prices for working families and minorities.