Waking Up from the Sleepwalk?
It's up to us to advance the Abundance Agenda—but early signs are good
Two weeks post-election, New York leaders may be waking from a long sleepwalk of ineffective Democratic governance—of failing to address voters’ very real concerns about cost of living and quality of life, and then being punished at the ballot box.
Thanks in large part to the unequivocal demands of people like you, Governor Hochul announced a resurrection of congestion pricing, set to kick in at a lower $9 top toll on January 5th.
The City Council passed Chi Ossé’s FARE Act, ending NYC’s unique regime that sticks renters with exorbitant broker fees.
This week, we have the chance to do even more when the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity faces a decisive City Council vote. Negotiations underway right now will determine if COYHO gets watered down to win over marginal members.
Please tell your council member you want them to pass COYHO in as strong a form as possible. Call the office and give the staffer who answers your name, address, and message—super fast and easy!
The 110,000 homes COYHO can deliver over the coming decade are merely a first step towards ending our severe supply crisis—not nearly enough to head off the continued bleeding of electoral college votes that will doom future Democratic presidential nominees.
Still, it is a step we must take. Otherwise, the Council will signal that it didn’t learn enough from voters expressing their anger about very real cost of living concerns going unaddressed.
More election results, and updates from the city and state, are below. And if you haven’t yet, grab a ticket to our live event about the future of abundance on Dec 7!
Ryder
Election Results Roundup
Presidency: Donald Trump gained the most vote share outside battlegrounds, in places like NYC. Statewide, Democrats had their worst showing in a presidential race since 1988. This should be a wake-up call to blue states and cities that they must solve voters’ problems if they want to continue earning their support.
Congress: Republicans won narrow majorities in the Senate and US House, meaning there is no bulwark against Trump’s agenda in Washington. Democrats did flip three House seats in New York—on Long Island, in the Hudson Valley, and around Syracuse. Unfortunately, NY is on track to lose three House seats due to ongoing population loss.
Ballot Measures: Prop 1, enshrining reproductive rights and equality measures in New York’s constitution, passed—good news for those able to live here. Four out of five of Mayor Adams’s charter amendments also passed, reducing the City Council’s power. They’re pushing back fast with their own charter commission.
State Leg: Democrats lost their super-majority in the State Senate, with Sen. Iwen Chu falling to a NIMBY challenger in Brooklyn. When we’re stuck in scarcity, voters are often drawn to whoever most vociferously defends their sliver of a small pie. If New York electeds take up the mantle of growing the pie for everyone, they can defang those short-term political incentives.
Other News from New York
🏢 A mixed-income apartment building will finally be built near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden after many years and negotiations about slimming it down to reduce shadows. An NYT deep dive on housing costs captures how this is par for the course.
🏃 A new Cornell report estimates that New York could lose 13% of its population over the next 25 years, perhaps a consequence of years-long negotiations over single buildings.
🧒 Another consequence? Homelessness. A new report says 146,000 kids in city public schools—about 1 in 8—experienced homelessness during the 2022-2023 school year.
🗑️ Where apartments do exist, their sidewalks are getting cleaner. Buildings with nine or fewer units (88% of buildings) must now containerize their trash.
🛣️ Reps from opposite ends of the Democratic coalition, Ritchie Torres and AOC, both oppose a Hochul plan to widen the Cross Bronx Expressway.
☢️ The new Trump era promises to be a boom-time for crypto. That’s likely to mean more power plants dedicated to mining—even when the state doesn’t want them.