Rubin Isak’s Post

Last year, the City Council approved a massive and much needed Astoria, Queens rezoning dubbed Innovation QNS. 12 Buildings, spread across 5-blocks, with 2-acres of public open space including a supermarket, retail space, a community rec center, daycare center, medical offices and a movie theater but more importantly: 3,190 Housing Units...1,436 (45% of the project) units are below market rate, including 825 units at or below 50% of AMI, for extremely or very low-income households or those exiting the shelter system (this includes supportive housing units, Section 8 & CityFHEPS rental voucher units).....ALL STILL ON HOLD. Can't build this without a 421a program. As Larry Silverstein points out: “I’m now 92 years of age. I’d like to see it happen. Honestly, at this rate, I don’t think I will.....But it is a tragedy because the city needs it, and it needs it desperately.....The problem is, we have $10 million in that thing but because of no kind of 421a program, WE CAN'T BUILD IT. I don’t know how long it is going to take to get this thing going,” Silverstein repeatedly blamed “progressive leftist thinking” for the lack of 421a and other pro-housing policies. - #commonsense? #421a #housing #affordablehousing #development #nyc