Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the dire state of affordable housing. New York City is still the largest and most expensive rental market in the county. The rental vacancy rate has plummeted to a historic low of 1.4%; more than half of households are rent-burdened, thousands are on the brink of eviction, and a record number of New Yorkers are living in shelters and staying in them longer than ever before. This crisis boils down to a sheer lack of affordable housing supply on the market and insufficient protections to keep vulnerable tenants from losing their homes. After years of political gridlock – and a failed attempt to galvanize cities and towns statewide to pursue ambitious construction targets – in April, Governor Hochul signed into law a housing deal that purports to offer relief. But is it enough?

Robin Hood, a key player in the fight for housing justice, devised a bold plan this year that harnesses innovation to unlock pathways to build more units, champions tenants’ rights, and offers subsidies as a lifeline to families struggling to make ends meet. Now that the ink has dried on Albany’s FY25 New York State budget, today, we speak with Jessica Katz, former NYC Chief Housing Officer and key architect of Robin Hood’s comprehensive housing plan, on the road toward housing access for all.

Tune in for insightful discussions on shaping policies to uplift communities and #FightPoverty. Subscribe for more episodes wherever you listen to your podcasts.

You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of "This Robin Hood Moment" at robinhood.org/podcasts, and you can find Robin Hood on X/Twitter @robinhoodnyc.

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at info@robinhood.org.

"This Robin Hood Moment" is produced by Cory Winter; graphics are produced by Mary Power; visuals are provided by Motion Array; music and sound are provided by Epidemic Sound. Special thanks to Jessica Katz and Chloe Sarnoff.

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