Throughout the 2022 Spring Semester, our team of 11 graduate students, all enrolled in the Master of Urban Planning program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, worked to develop a robust understanding of building conversions in New York City.
Discourse surrounding conversions to date has been largely focused on using conversions as a tool for neighborhood and economic revitalization in central business districts, whose economic well-being has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our studio, however, aimed to explore this topic as it relates to the creation of affordable housing in New York City. There is an immediate need for more affordable housing units in the city and this necessity has only been exacerbated by the impacts of the pandemic on citizens’ financial stability and housing security. Providing assistance to New Yorkers in need aligns with our project team’s ethos, and our client’s mission.
Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC) is a leading research and advocacy organization focused on housing and planning issues in New York City. Founded in 1937, its mission is to develop and advance practical public policies that support the city’s housing stock and has been one of the many stakeholders involved in advancing opportunities for legislative actions for office and hotel conversion to affordable housing. CHPC acknowledges that while many current conversations have been centered around the feasibility and regulatory barriers to conversion, certain key questions on the potential of conversion still remain unanswered. For example, it is still not clear where, when, and why conversion is a better tool than new development to meet housing needs. Therefore, our studio has been charged with exploring the potential of conversion to meet housing needs in New York City, study the physical, financial, regulatory, and political barriers, and propose policy changes needed to facilitate office and hotel conversion to affordable housing. This report is the product of our research and a synthesis of our findings.