City Launches Interactive Campaign at 21 Libraries: Fair Housing’s Next Chapter is Being Written in NYC Libraries this Summer!

August 7, 2024

HPD launching citywide public engagement to develop Where We Live NYC 2025, an update to the city's comprehensive fair housing plan first published in 2020. It is starting with fair housing displays, events, and resources at 21 libraries across the five boroughs

Renewed focus on the fair housing plan comes as the Adams Admin's signature fair housing proposal, City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, gains momentum on its path to City Council approval

NEW YORK- The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is collaborating with the City's three library systems to ensure that New Yorkers shape and are informed about The City's fair housing plan. Starting August 1, New Yorkers in all five boroughs are encouraged to take part in this process by engaging with interactive displays, events, and resources in 21 branches of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), New York Public Library (NYPL), and Queens Public Library (QPL) systems. Informed by feedback gained through this public engagement, HPD, and its agency partners are updating the Where We Live NYC comprehensive fair housing plan.

The five-year plan, released in 2020, included 81 commitments, over 90% of which are complete or in progress. As the City continues to advance its fair housing strategies - most notably the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning text amendments, it is asking New Yorkers to participate in visioning for the next five-year plan.

"New Yorkers, we need to hear your voice so you can help us build more equitable, affordable housing," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "As our city faces a historic housing crisis, our administration is playing its part by proudly say 'yes' to more housing in our backyards, neighborhoods, and communities, and investing record amounts to preserve and build more affordable homes. But, we are not stopping there. 'Where We Live NYC' is an opportunity to do even more and create a robust, comprehensive fair housing plan. To meet the moment, we want you to share your story, offer feedback, and let us know your vision for housing in New York City. The housing crisis may seem daunting, but together, we can build a better, brighter future for all."

"Hearing directly from New Yorkers is critical to furthering our city's fair housing goals," said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. "Combined with the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the next iteration of NYC Where We Live will ensure we continue to promote fair housing, confront segregation, and take action to advance opportunity for all. Thank you to HPD, our public libraries, the City Council, and New Yorkers for taking part in this important effort."

"Libraries are critical parts of our social infrastructure, safe spaces where we gravitate to learn, debate and grow. It is why these communal institutions are natural partners for thiscampaign and underscores our intention to tackle still persistent disparities and champion fair housing practices, publicly and with robust engagement, that empowers New Yorkers with choice and opportunity," said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. "This initiative reflects the City's commitment to building inclusive neighborhoods. Through City of Yes for Housing Opportunity and Where We Live NYC, we are paving the wayto a more equitable future for generations of New Yorkers"

"This administration is doubling down on its commitment to fair housing and engaging directly with communities about their lived experiences," said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. "Updating the City's comprehensive fair housing plan, Where We Live NYC, while implementing the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will ensure that we are doing everything in our power to meet the housing needs of all our residents, while dismantling the disparities and segregation rooted in our past. I am excited to see this collaborative planning process kickoff with local community members, HPD, the libraries, and our elected partners across the five boroughs."

"Through Where We Live NYC and City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, New York City is working to create a more equitable future, and this campaign represents another important step in these efforts," said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. "By engaging directly with New Yorkers at libraries across the city, we are ensuring that our fair housing strategies reflect the diverse perspectives of our residents. Together, we can tackle systemic inequities in housing and build a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive."

"Everyone in New York City has the right to live free from discrimination," said Annabel Palma, Chair and Commissioner of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. "The mission of Where We Live to combat persistent discrimination in housing is key to the work of our Commission. Everyday New Yorkers should be able to feel safe from discrimination in their own homes."

Statement from Brooklyn Public Library President Linda E. Johnson, Queens Public Library President Dennis M. Walcott, and New York Public Library President Anthony W. Marx: "The city's three library systems are proud to provide a space for New Yorkers to discuss and share their vision for addressing the city's housing and affordability crisis, one of the most critical issues of our time. By fostering these conversations, we can work together to help build a fairer and more equitable city."

"A fair housing approach is critical to meeting the needs of our communities amidst a housing crisis. Every neighborhood must do its part-and we know that for too long, just a handful of neighborhoods have created the majority of new affordable housing. Speaker Adams' Fair Housing Framework is a key step in the right direction, and we must do everything in our power to back up its targets with meaningful action. I urge New Yorkers to continue speaking up for a more just and caring city. Your voices matter," said Council Member Pierina Sanchez, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings.  

This 6-week campaign at City libraries is part of a broader public engagement plan that includes conversations with fair housing stakeholder organizations, public workshops, and a collaboration with youth filmmakers to produce videos on fair housing issues. Informed by feedback from this public engagement, HPD and its agency partners are updating the Where We Live NYC plan to include new data on segregation and housing discrimination, as well as bold new strategies to advance opportunity for all New Yorkers. The updated plan is set to be released in fall 2025.

The Where We Live NYC 2025 plan will be the first step towards implementing Local Law 167, which establishes a "Fair Housing Framework for New York City and was signed by the mayor in 2023. The new law helps to ensure that every neighborhood plays an equitable role in addressing the city's housing crisis through community district-level housing production targets and an assessment of unique community housing needs. The bill was sponsored by New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and will be a critical tool in the administration's continued efforts to combat the housing and affordability crisis, as well as to address systemic inequities in housing production. 

Where We Live NYC

The Where We Live NYC comprehensive fair housing plan was released in 2020 after extensive community participation and data and policy analysis. The plan laid out six fair housing goals for the City:

1. Combat persistent, complex discrimination with expanded resources and protections

2. Facilitate equitable housing development in New York City and the region

3. Preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement of long-standing residents

4. Enable more effective use of rental assistance benefits, especially in amenity-rich neighborhoods

5. Create more independent and integrated living options for people with disabilities

6. Make equitable investments to address the neighborhood-based legacy of discrimination, segregation, and concentrated poverty

The City made 81 commitments inspired by these goals, over 90 percent of which are either completed or in progress. Where We Live NYC commitments will make our city more inclusive and equitable; from the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning text amendment designed to create a little more housing in every neighborhood, to the Fair Chance for Housing Act which prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of arrest or conviction record. For an update on Where We Live NYC commitments, check out the Plan's progress report. The City remains committed to advancing the Plan's original six fair housing goals and will use them to guide new actions undertaken in the 2025 Plan update.

Library Campaign Details

This summer, through collaboration with Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), New York Public Library (NYPL), and Queens Public Library (QPL) systems, HPD invites New Yorkers to learn about fair housing and shape Where We Live NYC 2025. Starting in August, New Yorkers in all five boroughs will encounter interactive displays, events, and resources in 21 library branches. Feedback from this public engagement will inform the focus and commitments outlined in Where We Live NYC 2025.

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