Voters next week will decide five New York City charter amendments — three aimed at speeding the creation of affordable housing — while leaders and organizers diverge over how far to go. At the same time, Democrat Zohran Mamdani holds an edge over independent Andrew Cuomo, though a new poll shows a narrower gap.
New York City’s housing pressures remain acute, with rents at or near records, a citywide net rental vacancy rate of 1.41% and 9.2% of rentals overcrowded, according to the Rent Guidelines Board. Advocates for Children of New York reports that more than 154,000 public school students experienced homelessness in the 2024–25 school year — nearly one in seven. Several NYCHA complexes have also faced high‑profile incidents linked to disrepair. (rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us)
What’s on the ballot
- Voters will see six proposals overall: a statewide constitutional amendment (Question 1) and five New York City Charter changes (Questions 2–6). The three housing measures are Questions 2–4; Question 5 would digitize and unify the City Map; Question 6 would move city elections to even years if permitted by state law. (Only Question 1 involves the State Constitution.) (nycvotes.org)
What the housing measures would do
- Question 2 (Fast Track Affordable Housing): Creates faster review paths for publicly financed affordable housing and a special “fast‑track” in the 12 community districts that have permitted the least affordable housing, with concurrent local reviews and a final vote by the City Planning Commission. A City Council analysis indicates up to 12 districts — across Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island — could qualify. (nyc.gov)
- Question 3 (Expedited Land Use Review Procedure): Establishes an alternative, quicker review for modest projects, including rezonings in lower‑density areas with standard heights no higher than 45 feet and capacity increases up to 30% in medium‑ and higher‑density areas. The City Council would still retain approval over dispositions of city property to Housing Development Fund Companies, as required by state law. (cityandstateny.com)
- Question 4 (Affordable Housing Appeals Board): Replaces the mayor’s ULURP veto with a three‑member board — the mayor, the City Council speaker and the relevant borough president — empowered to reverse Council rejections or modifications of qualifying affordable‑housing land‑use actions. (cityandstateny.com)
Endorsements and pushback
- Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Comptroller Brad Lander support the housing measures; a pro‑measure coalition (“Yes on Affordable Housing”) is actively campaigning. The City Council tried to keep the questions off the ballot and has warned they could weaken community influence and “deceive voters.” According to The Nation, Mamdani has not taken a public position; Cuomo backs the measures and Republican Curtis Sliwa opposes them. (yesonaffordablehousing.com)
- Tenant organizers quoted by The Nation expressed skepticism about fast‑tracking without stronger affordability guarantees. “If we fast‑track these processes, I’m very curious about what kind of developments will get pushed through,” said Kasey McNaughton of Youth Alliance for Housing. Another member, Mira Gupta, noted “There is no actual guarantee in any of these proposals that there will be truly affordable housing.” (thenation.com)
The mayoral race backdrop
- A Suffolk University poll released this week put Mamdani at 44%, Cuomo at 34% and Sliwa at 11% among likely voters, indicating a tighter contest than earlier surveys. The poll followed Mayor Eric Adams’s late‑September exit from the race and his Oct. 23 endorsement of Cuomo. (cbsnews.com)
Mamdani’s past statements and records under renewed scrutiny
- A resurfaced 2023 clip shows Mamdani saying, “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF,” drawing criticism from opponents; the remark appeared in video widely shared on social media and covered by national outlets. In 2020, he posted that the NYPD is “racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety” and called to “defund” and “dismantle” the department — positions he has since said he no longer supports as a mayoral candidate. (mediaite.com)
- On Israel and Gaza, Mamdani has publicly supported the BDS movement and, at a May 22, 2025 forum, declined to affirm Israel’s right to exist specifically as a Jewish state, saying instead that “Israel has a right to exist … with equal rights for all,” according to Jewish Insider. He has repeatedly described Israel’s war in Gaza as “a genocide,” a characterization disputed by Israel and many U.S. leaders. (jta.org)
- In 2023 he sponsored the “Not on Our Dime!” bill (A6943‑A/S6992‑A) targeting New York not‑for‑profit corporations that “knowingly” provide unauthorized support for Israeli settlement activity; the measure authorizes the state Attorney General to seek civil penalties “not less than $1,000,000” and creates a private right of action. Critics have argued the bill could sweep in donations to charities such as United Hatzalah and ZAKA; the bill did not advance. (legiscan.com)
Bottom line
- Proponents say Questions 2–4 would cut red tape and ensure every part of the city adds affordable housing; opponents say the changes sideline local voices without guaranteeing deep affordability. With housing at the center of both the ballot and the mayoral campaign, New Yorkers will decide whether to trade some procedural power for speed — and which candidate they trust most to steer policy next year. (cityandstateny.com)
