Housing is more than shelter — it is the foundation of a safe, stable life. Michael Blake’s “Welcome Home” agenda is a bold housing justice plan that centers affordability, fairness, and human dignity.
Change the System: Under Blake’s administration, credit scores will no longer be used to screen applicants for rental housing or home ownership. Housing access should not be determined by a system that penalizes medical debt, student loans, or financial hardship.
Blake will replace the Area Median Income (AMI) formula with Local Median Income (LMI) to define affordability based on real New York wages. He will also raise income thresholds for housing eligibility, giving more working- and middle-class families a fair chance at securing stable homes.
Build What We Need: New York is in a housing crisis. Blake will launch Mitchell-Lama 2.0 — a new era of deeply affordable, middle-income housing for public sector workers and union members. His plan includes building 600,000 new housing units across the five boroughs to match the number of residents pushed out due to rising costs and housing scarcity.
Make Room for the People Who Built This City: A portion of all newly built units will be reserved for:
- Returning veterans
- Recent college graduates
- Native New Yorkers who want to come home but have been priced out
The “Welcome Home” plan is about bringing people back, keeping families together, and ensuring New York remains a place where working people can build a life.
