In this opinion piece, the NY Times Editorial Board gives a recap of the state of New York City since the pandemic, and the state of its recovery. It touches on factors in the recovery like the labor market, tourism, and daily subway ridership. The article then goes on to talk about what the writers describe as “existential challenges” that are still looming in New York City. One of which is an increase in affordable housing. 

They explain that New York’s limited supply of housing has led to soaring rents. High rents, they explain, make it harder for families to stay in the city; they make housing an increasingly large part of their household budgets. As a result, living where one works is virtually impossible, extending communities. They argue that housing affordability could be considered New York’s most urgent challenge, yet no issue has produced as much political dysfunction and failure. The article suggests Mayor Adams can do more to combat the issue like slashing through bureaucratic morass to hire tens of thousands of workers the city needs at agencies that preserve affordable housing, such as HUD. The article also suggests that Mayor Adams could also work together with Governor Hochul to sway pestering stakeholders, housing activists, and the state’s business community. The article ends on an optimistic note about the strength and resilience of New York City and that those who declared New York dead during the pandemic were incorrect.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/05/opinion/new-york-city-immigration-housing.html