As New York City grapples with a severe housing crisis, mayoral candidate Michael Blake has released a comprehensive plan aimed at making the city more affordable for working-class families. Blake, a former New York Assembly member and Obama administration staffer, argues that current city officials have failed to address the escalating rents and dwindling affordable housing options, leading to a mass exodus of residents.

The Crisis: A City Becoming a “Shell of Itself”

Blake paints a stark picture of New York City, describing it as a shell of itself, littered with empty buildings that only the rich can afford. He highlights the fact that over 2 million New Yorkers spend more than half of their income on rent, forcing them to compromise on essential needs like food and childcare.The situation is particularly dire for students, with approximately one in every eight students experiencing homelessness last year.

Blake’s Comprehensive Housing Plan: A Multi-Pronged Approach

Blake’s plan focuses on several key areas:

• Immediate Relief for Nonprofits: Within the first 100 days, Blake promises to pay and reimburse all open city contracts to nonprofits providing childcare, housing support, and job placement. He criticizes the current administration for denying these organizations timely pay.
• Cost of Living Emergency Declaration: Blake plans to declare a cost of living emergency and use city reserves to provide financial relief to residents struggling with rent, groceries, childcare, and transportation. A guaranteed income pilot program will also be established to aid vulnerable New Yorkers.
• Local Median Income (LMI) Implementation: Blake aims to replace the outdated Area Median Income (AMI) formula with a Local Median Income (LMI) specific to neighborhoods and zip codes. This will ensure that housing affordability is based on local incomes, not inflated regional averages. He also promises to raise income thresholds for housing eligibility.
• Eliminating Credit Score Considerations: Blake proposes eliminating credit score requirements from housing applications, which disproportionately affect communities of color, immigrants, and young adults.Alternative tenant evaluation methods, such as income verification and rental history, will be promoted.
• Mitchell-Lama 2.0: Blake will launch a new housing program focused on deeply affordable, middle-income housing for public sector workers and union members. The city will build 600,000 new units across the five boroughs, with some units reserved for returning veterans, recent college graduates, and native New Yorkers priced out of their home market.
• Technology for Good Platform: Blake plans to launch a public service platform that will connect people to city resources, allowing them to apply for benefits, track housing and repair statuses, check payment timelines, and request constituent services.

Funding the Plan: Economic Justice and Revenue Recovery

Blake argues that New York City is not lacking funds but mismanaging them. his economic justice plan includes several strategies to channel money back into the city without raising taxes on working-class families:

• Recovering Uncollected Fines and Property Taxes: Blake’s administration will work to recover over $2 billion in uncollected fines, including $150 million in uncollected property taxes and emergency housing repair bills. He plans to end the nearly 40-year tax exemption that has benefited Madison square Garden properties.
• Vacant Property Tax: Blake proposes taxing vacant luxury buildings and commercial units, encouraging owners to utilize their properties and directing unused funds to housing programs, public housing repairs, and rent subsidies.
• Reforming Tax Brackets for Billionaires: Blake aims to reform city tax brackets for billionaires and close tax exemption loopholes for the rich, generating more than $3 billion in revenue. He also projects collecting an additional $2 billion from fines and fee collections spawned by repealing tax abatements for luxury co-ops and condominiums priced over $300,000.

Leadership and Experience: “The Proven Leadership to Make These Changes Happen”

Blake emphasizes his experience as a New York Assembly member and chair of the Mitchell-Lama subcommittee, where he addressed issues such as people being skipped on waiting lists and provided funding for renovations. He also highlights his leadership in passing a bipartisan “Prompt Pay” bill that helped local businesses get paid in 15 days instead of 30, spearheading the creation of the only statewide My Brother’s Keeper program in America, and co-leading the Diversity In Medicine scholarships.

I’ve not only shown dedication to residents of all backgrounds, but I know how to deliver on my promises and make this city better. Every other candidate has a housing plan but lacks the dedicated leadership to make it work.

Blake concludes by stating that New York City needs a mayor who has proven their devotion to all residents and has a track record of delivering on innovative policies that work. He believes his plan offers a comprehensive solution to the housing crisis and promises a new generation of leadership.