Transcript: Mayor Adams Announces Back-to-Back Record-Breaking Years Creating Affordable, Supportive Housing in Calendar Year 2024

February 13, 2025

First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer: Good morning, everyone. My name is Maria Torres-Springer and I'm the first deputy mayor for the City of New York. We are so thrilled to be here today to share and to celebrate incredible progress that we have made in combating our housing crisis over the last calendar year. 

We made a pledge to the working class people of the city that we would use every tool at our disposal to tackle the housing crisis head on and to bring them relief. And over the last year, we've built a very big toolbox and wasted no time to use everything in our power to push housing production. 

But none of this could happen without the leadership and support of our city's biggest housing champion and the most pro-housing mayor of all time. Please join me in welcoming the 110th mayor of New York City, Mayor Eric Adams. Thank you.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much. And you know, this is a beautiful building and it's just a reflection of what this administration has been able to accomplish when it comes to the area of housing. And as I see a mother walking through with her children, please make a pathway so she can get by on her way to her business. So team, make a pathway so she could get by if she wants to. 

But what it is about is children and families, and staying focused. Yesterday, I was at the town hall out in Queens and it was amazing how– what's up brother? How are you? It was amazing how, you know, we're in this bubble sometimes talking about all these things that don't impact the children and families of the city. 

Those residents, every time I do a town hall, it reminds me of people who are concerned about public safety, affordability. They're concerned about housing. Enjoy your day. I'm talking about housing. They're talking about these important items that are important. And our administration is focused on just that. And no portfolio impacts this housing initiative more than Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, what she has done throughout this administration of continuously landing the planes of challenging housing initiatives, finding the space, and ensuring that we continue to build. 

And she had an amazing commissioner over at HPD, Commissioner Carrion, just continues to hit it out of the park over and over again. And when you look at these numbers, it clearly shows that our North Star has been clear and that is finding housing for people, those who are homeless, like what Commissioner Park is doing, as well as the partnership that we're making with those elected officials who understand how important this initiative and agenda is. 

And our administration continues to do what we enjoy, breaking records. We break records over and over again. And last month, we announced for the eighth time we broke the record on the number of jobs in this city. And we have seen unemployment drop across all demographics in general, but specifically when it comes down to Black and Hispanics, dropped by nearly 20 percent. 

So today, we're breaking more records in another important category, and that's housing. As I said in the State of the City address last month, our goal is to make New York City the best place on the globe to raise a family. 

That means we need more affordable housing across our entire city. And a home is more than just four walls. It is the precursor to sleep that allows you to experience the American dream. I say that over and over again. And it's the key to unlocking the dream, a path towards stability and opportunity that has been out of grasp for [] many New Yorkers and for far too long. 

Since day one, our administration has been building housing and bringing down the cost of living is part of our top priority. And thanks to the team behind me, everyone that's here, including our homeless advocate, Shams has been a continuous and steady voice of dealing with how we transition out of homelessness into housing. And this team, we have moved the ball forward and the numbers show it, it's clear. And I'm proud to announce another record-breaking calendar year in housing production. For the second year in a row, we have built the most homeless units. So let me just put on my sticker.

The most supportive units. I'm going to turn that over to you, first deputy mayor. Let me hold your binder for you. You know. Another record. The most senior units. And I'm going to turn that over to you.

Another record, another record. So we have built the most housing for vulnerable neighbors to provide both peace of mind and the support they need to pursue their American dream in New York City. Not only have we built record amounts of housing, but we have also connected a number of New Yorkers to that housing. 

In 2024, HPD connected more New Yorkers to homes than ever before. Through both the Housing Connects lottery and by helping people in shelters transition to homeless set-aside units. I wish I had a sticker for you, Shams, because you're the leader of making that happen. 

And thanks to the team at NYCHA, we delivered more than $1.7 billion in critical need capital repairs to our public housing sites. And it just goes to show you why it was imperative that first deputy mayor, including for the first time, NYCHA and our housing plan were delivering on our promise and commitment. 

And in our first year in office, our administration successfully went to Albany and fought to give residents a voice in their future by choosing if they wanted to join the NYCHA trust or PAC. And now we are seeing that money go back into the communities. The New York City Department of Social Services also connected a record number of New Yorkers in shelters to subsidized permanent housing for a second year in a row. Molly, let me give you a sticker.

And really, Molly, you and your team dealing with housing on so many levels, from the migrant and asylum seekers to everyday New Yorkers in homeless shelters, what she has been able to do from COVID and transitioning into the humanitarian crisis we face, just real leadership over the Department of Social Services. And when you look at it, more than 14,600 households moved out of shelter using a variety of rental subsidies reflecting a 24 percent increase year over year. 

The majority of these households used CityFHEPS to attain stable housing, reflected a 40 percent increase in shelter exits using city funded rental assistance. Finally, more than 4,400 households used CityFHEPS vouchers to stay in their homes and avoid shelter. Behind all these numbers, we never want to forget these are human stories. These are not just stats. These are not just figures. These are families. These are people who are trying to pursue the American dream. And older adults getting connected to accessible and affordable housing has been one of our most important initiatives. 

And that includes formerly homeless New Yorkers being handed a key to a stable and safe apartment with a support network. Families feeling like they can't afford to live in the greatest city in the globe, that's the best place to raise a family. We want to distill that myth and let them know here they're going to get the support that they deserve. But we're not stopping here. We have more to do. 

In the State of the City last month, we laid out a bold vision for our Manhattan Plan that will create 100,000 new homes in the borough, bringing the total number of homes in Manhattan to one million over the next decade. We are also building on our City of Yes [for] Housing Opportunity. The most pro-housing proposal in our city's history that will invest billions and build 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years. 

With City of Yes For Families, which will help us build even more housing that's needed for our families, we are continuing to move towards a record number of houses in our city, including co-locating housing with libraries and housing that is closer to public transportation. City of Yes combined with our neighborhood zoning efforts alone is projected to create nearly double the projection during my good friend Michael Bloomberg's 12 years in office and four times the projection of the former mayor, but we're moving at a record pace to build more housing as we committed. 

Our Midtown South Mixed Use Plan, which will create nearly 10,000 new homes is the largest in 20 years since the Hudson Yard rezoning. To meet our affordable housing crisis head on, we must continue to be bold and use the right ambition and innovation to move this city forward in the area of housing. 

So I want to thank all our partners, our advocates, those who are in government and out of government. You cannot accomplish this without the teamwork. The teamwork makes the dream work and the dream is to put New Yorkers in housing at an affordable level. Thank you very much. Thank you.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you so much Mayor Adams and thanks to the entire team, both inside and outside of government for all of your tremendous work. Here's what's clear, in my mind in terms of the announcement that we're making today that the records, last year's records and the year before that, they weren't a fluke. 

It's not a bug of our work that we break records. It's a feature. And we do that because we know that in the face of a 1.4 percent vacancy rate, we had to do everything within our power to move the needle in terms of the housing crisis. 

City of Yes, the mayor mentioned $5 billion in order to ensure that we're making investments in housing and infrastructure. We had a 24 and 24 plan that we didn't just meet but we exceeded in using public sites to build housing. The five neighborhood plans that the mayor discussed, more to come with a Manhattan plan for another 100,000 units and the City of Yes for families to make sure that we are thinking about all of the zoning, home ownership and other programs to make it easier for families to afford to live in this city. 

Just last year, I know it seems like a long time ago but we also reached a landmark housing deal in Albany and we wasted no time in using the tools that we got there, incentives for new construction, incentives for conversion, the lifting of an artificial cap. 

We wasted no time in using those tools and those show up in the numbers. And also this year, we launched a Charter Revision Commission to look specifically at the issue of housing and how we can make reforms to make that easier. And I haven't even mentioned the fact that we have a record $25 billion capital budget for NYCHA and for HPD. And speaking of NYCHA, the work that Lisa Bova-Hiatt who's here with us today, not just in closing close to 4,000 units in terms of the PACT program but advancing with a lot of energy, all of the sites, they include now 19 buildings for our trust program, really extraordinary work to ensure that our work in housing really puts NYCHA residents at the center versus an afterthought like has happened for far too many generations. 

The last thing that I'll say that I think is incredibly important, the mayor mentioned this, is there are all the numbers, the programs, the RFPs and the units that we say get produced but really the most meaningful accomplishments in my mind are the ones that show that we're connecting people to units. 

So the records in terms of placements, connecting New Yorkers, formerly homeless New Yorkers, New Yorkers in shelter to affordable homes I think are some of the most rewarding accomplishments and we're going to continue. I want to thank all of our government partners here today and speaking on behalf of the entire government team is someone who really at the helm of HPD has done incredible work, leads an extraordinary team and has been tireless in using all of the tools at HPD to make sure that we are moving our city forward and making it more affordable. So please join me in welcoming Commissioner Adolfo Carrión. Thank you.

Commissioner Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Department of Housing Preservation and Development: Thank you very much, First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you to all of my colleagues who have been toiling in the field to make this happen. 

I'm going to be exceedingly brief. You heard from both the mayor and the first deputy mayor the statistics, the records that are being broken in terms of new construction, preservation, supportive housing, housing for older adults like myself and all of the manifestations of housing that we need to produce. 

You've heard about the legislative initiatives, the zoning tools, the land use tools that we've been able to secure. What we've brought home from Albany in terms of the authorities that allow us to do the work that we do in partnership with the private sector, in partnership with many non-profits, in partnership with minority and women-owned business enterprises, record-breaking in that respect as well. 

But this is really all about people and about ensuring that we create a city rich with opportunity. And I often say that this is very personal to me. I think you've heard me say that. And I remember day one, three years ago, February 7th, when I walked in the doors at 100 Gold Street and I told my team, look, my journey has taken me through what we're trying to do and I'm here as commissioner of Housing for New York City. 

A bambino of two Puerto Rican young people who didn't know a lick of English and started in a sub-basement and in less than one generation became homeowners and went through public housing, subsidized HUD-supported housing, down payment assistance, to be able to enter the middle class and become a successful family in New York City. That's what we're building here, a city of opportunity. 

I want to take a moment, my colleagues are amazing, Molly Park, Lisa Bova-Hiatt, all of the folks who we partner with to produce this success. But my team at HPD, at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, are superstars. And I just wanna say, I want to take advantage of this moment and tell New Yorkers, and hopefully one of you will pick it up as something worth printing or repeating, that the team at HPD is an amazing, dedicated team of public servants, and I want my colleagues to give them a round of applause. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you, first deputy.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you so much, commissioner. I want to give a shout-out to our Executive Director for Housing, Leila Bozorg, Edith Hsu-Chen, and the executive director of the Department of City Planning. And also, they're not here today. There's Rob Holbrook from Get Stuff Built, as well. There you are. I was thinking about, and I want you to hear this, my colleagues at the Department of Office of Management and Budget. Thank you for being really fantastic partners in all of this work. We can't close these deals without you. 

We also can't do these deals without the partnership of amazing not-for-profits and advocacy organizations across the city. And so, really, it is my pleasure to introduce one of those visionary partners in one of the leaders of Homeward NYC, really dedicated to housing for homeless young families and seniors and LGBTQ youth, and all those overcoming abuse and discrimination. So, a hero for so many. Please join me in welcoming Jeanette Ruffins, CEO of Homeward NYC.

Jeannette Ruffins, CEO, Homeward NYC: Good morning, everybody. And I want to have to say a special thank you to Mayor Adams, to our first Deputy Mayor Torres Spinger, and Commissioner Carrión. Thank you very much. So, obviously, my name is Jeannette Ruffins. I'm the CEO of Homeward NYC, and we provide transitional housing for young mothers. We provide affordable housing for seniors. More importantly, most importantly, we also provide supportive housing for LGBTQ young adults. 

And supportive housing, which basically is affordable housing, overlaid with services. And so why LGBTQ young adults? About 7.5 percent of the country identifies as LGBTQ. About 40 percent of homeless youth and young adults identify as LGBTQ. So there obviously is a gap and a need for this population. 

By providing them with housing, with the built-in support services, we provide them with an opportunity to be stable, to be safe, which is one of the first things they say when you say, what do you want? They say, we want housing, and we want to feel safe. So we provide them with housing, safety, and an opportunity to really think about what they want to do for the rest of their lives. 

If you are not housed, if you are not safe, a future, you're so caught up in daily life that you really can't think of what I want to do six weeks, six months, six years from now. So in providing those services, we allow them to breathe, be safe, heal from their trauma, and grow. 

But whether it is Homeward providing services to LGBTQ young adults, or Help USA, which is the site we are in for homeless young families, people providing services to seniors or singles, these are the most vulnerable. Supportive housing is for people who we know initially cannot live independently. That safety net of internal services really does allow them to thrive and grow, and many of them do move out to more independent forms of housing. 

So I just, you know, this is my plug for supportive housing, and I am so grateful to be in a city that has a commitment from the administration and all of our government partners that value and appreciate the work that we do and support the continued existence of supportive housing, which is, for many people, the only way they're going to get out of homelessness. So I just want to close with a shout out to all of my other nonprofit providers who do this hard work with me every day. Thank you very much. Thank you.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you, Jeanette, for those beautiful words. And to close us out, I want to invite our host in this building. This is a 180-unit building, 60 percent supportive, an incredible project. Thank you so much for hosting us, and I want to call up Tina Goodrich, VP for Help USA. Thank you. Beautiful speech.

Tina Goodrich, Vice President of Supportive Housing and Services, HELP USA: Thank you. Good morning. I'm Tina Goodrich, VP for Supportive Housing at HELP USA. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, all the commissioners, everyone, for what you do here in New York City. HELP USA is a nonprofit organization. We also do transitional shelter. We do domestic violence, veteran care services, and homeless prevention, and more. 

So we are in a housing crisis across New York City and New York State, where one in three people who find themselves homeless happen to be children. In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis unfolding over the last few years, the Adams administration has met the challenge with historic housing production and compassion. 

Our city leaderships include HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrion Jr. and DSS Commissioner Molly Park, and many more. [They have] managed to ensure that 97 percent of homeless people are sheltered, a far higher percentage than any other large city facing a similar crisis. HELP USA has been a valuable partner in this effort by doubling our housing production to more than 600 units of permanent supportive housing, with another 48 units coming up this year. Our vision here at HELP USA is not only to house people, but to set them on a path to live independently and thrive. 

We can only achieve that with partners like those assembled today. We look forward to continuing the work and overcoming the challenges in the future. I also want to give a shout out to HELP USA permanent supportive housing staff who are here. This is a young adult building, 111 units, for 18 to 25 years old. I, too, at one point was homeless twice as a young adult. I'm sorry, as a young child. And then as a young adult. And this project means so much to me because I identify with the families that live here. 

Without permanent supportive housing, who knows where individuals would be? Maybe street homeless or still in shelter. So Mr. Mayor, thank you. Continue the good work, and more housing to come. Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Just before we go on, come on, Shams. Shams has been a real partner on this. I don't know who has been more dedicated and loyal. This is what this is about. Why don't you say a few words before we open up?

Shams DaBaron: So real quick. So one of the shelters I was in was a HELP USA shelter. And it's such an honor to be here in a facility. I was a child that was homeless, a teenager that was homeless. And so to see that we're building things that are really impactful on the lives of young people is special. But I also want to say that from the start, and I think the numbers speak for themselves. 

Each year we're coming back to celebrate the progress that's made. And that doesn't negate that we still face challenges. But we have to accept that the administration and all the partners are working hard and diligently, and you can hear the stories from people. Most of the people have lived some experience of homelessness or housing insecurity. They're running these agencies, so they really understand. I just want to thank all of you for your commitment to real New Yorkers, to people that are struggling, and just thank you for all the work that you do.

Mayor Adams: And I think Tina really personifies how we do this work. People that want to help people who are going through a lot must be individuals who have gone through a lot. And here you have this brilliant woman who's now using her life experience to help people who are currently going through those experiences, particularly young adults. So Tina, thank you for allowing us to use your space here.