New York's Housing Underground: A Refuge and Resource
Between 1990 and 2000, New York City gained 114,000 apartments that are not reflected in the official number of certificates of occupancy the City granted for new construction or renovation. Many more have almost certainly been created since. These phantom apartments are the city's housing underground: units that have been created in spaces that are not approved for living.
In this report, the Pratt Center and Chhaya Community Development Corporation outline how this fact provides the city government with an opportunity: it is possible to legalize these basement units while ensuring public safety, restricting additional density under the zoning code, and ensuring that no neighborhoods will be unduly burdened with overcrowded schools and services. The report offers research, analysis and recommendations on how to bring these unauthorized units into the city's regulatory system.
