Podcast: New York City’s housing balancing act

For civic observers trying to make sense of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s affordable housing policy, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in a vat of alphabet soup. From Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) to Zoning for Quality and Affordability (ZQA) to Area Median Income (AMI), this jargon is central to the administration’s struggle to allay concerns that more affordable housing does not necessarily beget more gentrification.

Greg Smith, an investigative reporter for the Daily News who frequently covers housing policy in the city, joins Alexis Grenell and me on The Slant Podcast to parse all sides of the affordable housing debate.

We pick Greg’s brain on whether Mandatory Inclusionary Housing is truly a panacea for affordable housing development, if gentrification concerns are overblown for certain neighborhoods, and why the de Blasio administration is ignoring the New York City Housing Authority’s role in preserving the city’s affordable housing stock.

Later, during our “Bochinche & Buzz” segment, Gerson Borrero phones in to break down his experience in Albany during the Caucus Weekend conference. Gerson witnessed some awkward dynamics at play regarding de Blasio’s lukewarm reception by conference attendees compared with the enthusiasm for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a potential 2017 challenger.

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