| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold | New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to unveil a sweeping development plan to combat the city's housing crunch. For those who have been wondering what exactly Adams' agenda is beyond fighting crime and killing rats, here's something policy wonks can really sink their teeth into: 111 reforms to the city's zoning and building codes, which the mayor projects could create 50,000 new homes over the next decade. The proposal, to be unveiled in a speech this morning, focuses on easing regulations and cutting costs for builders to encourage them to put up more apartments, according to a summary obtained by our Sally Goldenberg and Janaki Chadha. Among the biggest changes, mandatory environmental reviews would be scrapped for buildings with fewer than 200 units. Homeowners would be able to do more renovations without submitting plans to the Department of Buildings, and building codes would be updated to make it easier to convert offices to housing and make aging properties more energy efficient. Adams has long been friendly to real estate , opening him up to likely criticism that his moves are designed to aid developers rather than tenants. But the mayor's team, and plenty of outside experts, believe that easing the housing supply crunch is crucial if rents are ever going to come down, or at least stop soaring so fast. They estimate that the current environmental review and land use approval processes increase monthly rents by roughly $430 for the average apartment. "Some builders simply avoid New York City altogether or won't pursue zoning changes because they are too costly and risky," officials wrote a summary of the forthcoming plan. "Delays in building or loss of projects altogether further slow gains for small businesses, job creation, and our economic recovery." The majority of the 100-plus proposals can be put in place by Adams on his own, but 14 will require approval from the City Council (which isn't on the friendliest terms with the mayor at the moment, so we'll see how that goes) and two need sign-off from the state. IT'S THURSDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com , or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold WHERE'S KATHY? In New York City with no public events scheduled. WHERE'S ERIC? Speaking at Salesforce's World Tour NYC, giving an affordable housing speech, holding a press q&a, meeting with the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, and attending a Time person of the year reception.
| | | | POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP . | | | | | |  | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | " NYC Bill Would Ban Firing Most Workers Without a Good Reason ," by Bloomberg's Josh Edelson: "A New York City lawmaker is trying to ban most companies from firing workers without good reason, which could transform the balance of power between bosses and their employees. Most US employees work 'at-will,' allowing companies to legally terminate them for almost any reason, or for no reason at all. In contrast, under a bill being unveiled Wednesday, New York City employees' jobs would be legally protected unless their boss could demonstrate misconduct, unsatisfactory performance or a genuine economic need to eliminate their position. " " Harlem Gets New York State's First Retail Location for Cannabis Dispensary ," by The City's Gabriel Poblete: "After much anticipation — and concern — about when New York would reveal its first locations for cannabis shops, the state authority overseeing the leasing of dispensaries has announced the first site, near the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. During the meeting on Monday of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), president and CEO Reuben R. McDaniel III announced the Authority had signed its first lease, for a property located at 248 W. 125th St." " NYC teachers union fears return of charter school battles under Adams ," by WNYC's Jessica Gould: "The city's powerful teachers union and some parents are concerned that proposals for charter schools to share space with city-run public schools could undermine a new state law limiting class size. United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said he believes recent proposed 'co-locations' of charter schools with traditional public schools signal Mayor Eric Adams is taking a more accommodating approach to charters than his predecessor." " NYC shelter rules around childcare are making it hard for migrant moms to find work ," by WNYC's Catalina Gonella: "Recently arrived mothers seeking asylum are running into a perennial issue that's plagued many families living in homeless shelters — the tricky balancing act of looking for work without accessible childcare. Erika Fernandez arrived in New York City three months ago from Ecuador with her husband and two kids, who are 10 and 3 years old. She's been staying at a Queens shelter with her family. But without a feasible childcare option, she hasn't been able to work because she has to watch her youngest at the shelter all day." BRAGG EXITS: Kyle Bragg — who became president of 32BJ SEIU in 2019 following the sudden death of the late president Héctor Figueroa — announced his retirement. Bragg — the first Black president in 32BJ history — was reelected in 2021. "I will be forever grateful and honored to have had the chance to lead 32BJ as its President," he said in a statement. "Serving at the very top of this incredible organization represented the culmination of a four-decade-long career in the labor movement." Manny Pastreich, secretary treasurer for the union — which has more than 175,000 members — will take over as president. Candis Tolliver, the union's political director, will be promoted to executive vice president. The union's executive board voted to approve Pastreich as president on Wednesday. — Madina Touré
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | " Letitia James Accused of Protecting Top Aide From Harassment Allegations ," by The New York Times' Jeffery C. Mays, Jonah E. Bromwich and William K. Rashbaum: "One of the women whose allegations of sexual harassment led to the resignation of a key aide to the New York attorney general, Letitia James, said in an interview that she decided to come forward because she believed that Ms. James was protecting her longtime chief of staff rather than aggressively pursuing the investigation. The woman, Sofia Quintanar, accused Ms. James of withholding any public finding of wrongdoing against her longtime chief of staff, Ibrahim Khan, allowing him to resign with his reputation intact." — " NY Attorney General Letitia James defends her response to aide's sexual harassment allegations ," by NY1's Zack Fink: "New York Attorney General Letitia James sat down with NY1's Errol Louis for an exclusive interview Wednesday, her first since her chief of staff Ibrahim Khan resigned last week amid allegations of sexual harassment. In her appearance on 'Inside City Hall,' James said she's angry at her former staffer while defending how she handled the case." "New York can continue to enforce state gun control law, appeals court rules ," by New York Post's Ben Feuerherd: "New York can continue to enforce a state law that bans guns from 'sensitive' places pending its appeal of a ruling that struck down aspects of the measure, a federal appeals court panel said Wednesday. The three-judge panel from the New York City-based Second Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay against the ruling by Syracuse federal judge Glenn T. Suddaby that barred state officials from implementing large swaths of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act." " New York monitoring hospital capacity and stockpiling ventilators as 'tripledemic' threat of COVID, flu and RSV hits ," by Daily News' Denis Slattery: "In order to help alleviate potential overcrowding and staffing issues at hospitals, Hochul hinted that she may issue an executive order that would make it easier to bring in doctors and nurses from out of state as well as transfer workers in-state to hard hit medical facilities. State officials will also continue to monitor bed capacity and the need for transferring patients throughout the winter months The state has also stockpiled ventilators and coronavirus test kits that are ready to be deployed if needed. While cases have been steadily rising, most health experts expect COVID cases to skyrocket following holiday gatherings." — "Residential care facilities in New York will be required to notify residents and their families when an infection is confirmed in the facility under legislation approved Wednesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The new law will also require nursing homes in the state to have a plan to aid exposed or infected residents." by Spectrum's Nick Reisman " Lawyers, Advocates Prod Albany for More Legal Protections for Kids Under Arrest ," by THE CITY's Reuven Blau: "In 1989, the 'Central Park Five,' a group of Black and Latino teens from Harlem, were wrongfully convicted of the rape and beating of a white woman after they gave false confessions to the police without lawyers present. Yusef Salaam, one of the Five who was wrongly imprisoned for nearly seven years, and other criminal justice activists are now pushing for a bill in Albany that would give minors more protections when questioned by police — citing at least 19 false confessions made by underage suspects since 1991." ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS and CARL HEASTIE are headed back to their respective roles as Senate majority leader and Assembly speaker. #UpstateAmerica: Bills linebacker Von Miller is out for the season so fans are flooding his charity .
| | | | POLITICO AT CES 2023 : We are bringing a special edition of our Digital Future Daily newsletter to Las Vegas to cover CES 2023. The newsletter will take you inside the largest and most influential technology event on the planet, featuring every major and emerging industry in the technology ecosystem gathered in one place. The newsletter runs from Jan. 5-7 and will focus on the public policy related aspects of the event. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of CES 2023. | | | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | Zeldin won't run for RNC chair, but says McDaniel should step aside , by POLITICO's Joseph Spector: Rep. Lee Zeldin said Wednesday he will not run for Republican National Committee chairperson, but took plenty of shots at party leaders and its current head, Ronna McDaniel. After a better-than-expected run for New York governor last month, the Long Island congressman was gauging RNC members' interest in backing him for the national leadership post. But on Wednesday morning, Zeldin called the system preordained for McDaniel to win another term at the party's helm — which he said the GOP leaders should reconsider, especially after Herschel Walker's defeat in the Georgia Senate runoff on Tuesday.
| | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | " Democrats ramp up investigation of Kushner family business dealings ," by Washington Post's Michael Kranish: "Democrats on a pair of congressional committees have launched an aggressive new effort to obtain information about whether Jared Kushner's actions on U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf region as a senior White House adviser were influenced by the bailout of a property owned by his family business. Citing previously undisclosed emails and other documents related to former president Donald Trump's son-in-law, the committees on Monday night sent letters to the State and Defense departments requesting material that they say could shed new light on whether 'Kushner's financial conflict of interest may have led him to improperly influence U.S. tax, trade and national security policies for his own financial gain.'"
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — A report argues the MTA should offer intracity trips on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North for the same price as a subway ride. — The legal battle between two Queens pizzerias using the name Belucci has been settled . — The city is piloting a program to screen the content of drugs, including the amount of fentanyl. — New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer wants a congressional hearing on the MTA budget and congestion pricing. — A Greek Orthodox Church destroyed on 9/11 finally reopened . — Critics rallied against Mayor Eric Adams' plan to bring people with severe mental illness to hospitals without their consent. — A woman is suing Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital over sexual abuse by ex-gynecologist Robert Hadden. — Lawmakers held a hearing on a bill that would make it easier for older inmates to get parole. — Saratoga Springs will NOT be closing its bars early after all. — Cazenovia College, which started 199 years ago as the Genesee Seminary, will permanently close after its spring 2023 semester.
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: NBC's Cesar Conde, Tom Mazzarelli and Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner … artist Sophia Narrett … Honey Sharp … WSJ's Sabrina Siddiqui … Fox News' Kerri Kupec … AP's Pablo Martínez Monsiváis … CBS' Brooke Lorenz … ABC's Marc Burstein … former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim … Robert J. Sternberg … Lizzie O'Leary … Rachel Sklar MAKING MOVES — Ben Lazarus is now assistant counsel to Gov. Hochul. He most recently was a senior associate at WilmerHale. … … Gabrielle Fong is now senior associate at early stage investment firm First In. She most recently was an intelligence officer at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. Navy Space Command. … Rebecca Grant has been named global chief brand officer at BCW Global, while Catherine Sullivan has been promoted to be global chief communications officer for BCW Group. Grant continues as CEO of BCW's UK market and as a member of the agency's global board; Sullivan previously was EVP for global communications. Melanie Mitchem has joined BCW as executive vice president for global marketing. She most recently was executive director of global communications and PR at FCB Global. MEDIAWATCH — New York Times staffers are planning a one-day walkout over stalled contract negotiations.
| | Real Estate | | " Manhattan and Brooklyn Rents Flatten After Record Surge — But Don't Expect Bargains ," by The City's Greg David: "Relentless increases that drove rents listed for in Manhattan and Brooklyn to record highs came to a screeching halt this fall, the latest report from the real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman finds. The average apartment for rent in Manhattan in November cost $5,249 monthly and the average in Brooklyn was $3,964, mostly unchanged since the runup in rents ended in the late summer. But both numbers remain near record levels, up 20% from a year ago." " NYC advocates push plan to slash time and money spent on city projects, call system 'broken ,'" by Staten Island Advance's Joseph Ostapiuk: "Creating a new local library in New York City can take between seven and eight years. That's longer than advocates say it should. Bureaucratic red tape takes up 'months and months' of civic projects, said Adam Ganser, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, a nonprofit advocacy group that joined others on the steps of City Hall Tuesday afternoon calling for change." | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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