Heba Elkouraichi

Capstone Project

The New York City Council recently declared an ongoing state of emergency due to the continued severity of the city’s housing crisis. In doing so, the City of New York reserves the right to continue enforcing rent stabilization laws with support from the State. It has long felt as though the City of Dreams has grown desperate as it loses its battle against homelessness. Between 2010 and 2020, New York City’s population has grown by 7.7% [Office of the New York State Comptroller], and over 200,000 migrants have entered the City since 2022 [ABC7 New York]. The cost of housing migrants, specifically, has grown extremely hefty with figures reaching billions of dollars, causing Mayor Eric Adams to refer to the migrant crisis as an “issue [that] will destroy New York City [NPR].” Efforts to remedy the crisis are many, but this op-ed will focus on Mayor Adams’ City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. This article argues that the policies listed in the City of Yes have their merits and the potential to be extremely beneficial, however, they do not focus on finding affordable housing for migrants, an issue that is on the forefront of the crisis.