Heat over housing issue hits Hokul.

The fight over housing policy in New York City is ending the year much like the legislative season, with only mutual recriminations for lack of action. One key union organization pins the blame on business. Businesses in turn criticize lawmakers. Governor Kathy Hokul has indicated that her failed conditional housing deal will not be repeated in 2024.

Almost everyone involved in the housing debate agrees there is a problem with not enough supply and too much demand, making it difficult to make rent payments and difficult to buy a first home.

But as Albany's legislative season kicks off in a month, the first shots are already sounding. The organization Homeowners for an Affordable New York received''s support for business is criticizing three high-profile Democrats in the state Senate for supporting a blocked "Good Cause for Eviction" proposal that is designed to make it harder to evict tenants or raise rents. Senators Toby Ann Stavisky, John Lew and Peter Harkham, who supported the measure, were the subject of a letter from the organization saying the bill is supported by "socialists and Marxists.

The Senate Democrats' organization declined to comment.

"Instead of addressing evictions, it will destroy existing housing in New York City, raise the cost of rent for virtually every renter and discourage new construction projects, leading to increased homelessness," said a spokesman for the group''Gregory Drilling. - "This is reckless, bigoted and unreasonable, and we call on every member of the state legislature to reject it. "

Housing advocate Sia Weaver criticized the illegal action subpoena and called the legislators who are the target of the mailing "advocates" for housing and pointed to a poll that shows voters are concerned about affordability.

"Next year, voters will be looking for representatives to help their constituents address issues related to housing costs," Weaver said.

In the meantime, the New York County Frame Builders Ratio of the New York Real Estate Reich in a letter obtained by the Playbook for State Assembly members, accused the consortium of inaction on housing issues,''such as replacing the 421a tax credit program, creating new tenant protections and a housing voucher program.

'They would rather your constituents endure homelessness and poverty because they can't get used to the idea of earning a dollar less - despite having billions of dollars in income,' their Executive Secretary-Chamber Joseph Geiger wrote in a letter.

The union representatives insist they want to reach an agreement on the issue at Albany after talks broke down earlier this year between Hokul and Parliament.

"We need to do something, the crisis is so serious you can't play politics anymore," said the union's political director Kevin Elkins in''Interview. - "There's a lot of room for great compromise. "

But NYCHA also insists that its members want to resolve the housing issue in New York City with city officials and labor unions.

"Including continuing to work with the Building Council and the building unions and their constituents on a plan to provide good construction wages and benefits as part of any new program that promotes mixed-income multifamily housing," said a spokesman for Real Estate New York.