Pratt Center for Community Development

Issue Briefs

Shortchanging Working Families in Queens
Pratt Center for Community Development, March 2008

Queens has nearly one-fourth of New York City's households eligible for City affordable housing programs, but the borough has received only 3.7 percent of the units created under the Bloomberg Administration's New Marketplace housing initiative, effectively locking Queens residents out of affordable housing opportunities. This Issue Brief assesses the situation and identifies opportunities to increase affordable housing production in the borough.

Queens West Issue Brief
Pratt Center for Community Development, November 2006

The City of New York recently announced that it was buying the 24 acre "Queens West" site in Long Island City from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to develop 5,000 units of affordable housing in a mixed-income community. The plan was hailed as a victory for affordable housing in Queens, which has not generally seen its share of affordable housing programs. However, analysis by the Pratt Center for Community Development revealed that all of the proposed affordable housing units would be priced out of range for more than 60% of Queens residents. This issue brief reviews the data on the need for affordable housing in Queens and the Administration's proposal, and makes recommendations to better reconcile the two.

Rebuild and Renew Transportation Bond Act
October, 2005
The New York State "Rebuild and Renew Transportation Bond Act," contains $2.9 billion in critical investments in the State's transportation infrastructure. Read about the Pratt Center's position on the NYS Bond Act, which wil be on the November 8th ballot for public consideration.

Prevailing Wage Requirement for Building Service Workers in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning Area
April 1, 2005
Financial Analysis
The Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ has proposed legislation applying prevailing wage standards to New York City subsidies for newly constructed residential buildings in Greenpoint-Williamsburg. Based on a review of this legislation and a financial analysis of its impact, the Pratt Center recommends adoption of the bill.

Affordable Housing and the Hudson Yards Rezoning
December, 2004
Land Value Analysis
The City should tap into the substantial increase in land values that real estate owners will receive due to the rezoning of Hudson Yards to guarantee that 30% of the new housing created in the area be affordable to community residents.