Brad Lander Would Declare Housing Emergency if Elected N.Y.C. Mayor

New York|Brad Lander Would Declare Housing Emergency if Elected N.Y.C. Mayor

Declare a state of emergency because of New York City’s housing crisis. Build 50,000 homes on public golf courses. Triple subsidies for affordable housing.

These are a few of Brad Lander’s ideas to address the housing crisis if he is elected mayor in November, according to a 30-page housing plan released on Thursday. Mr. Lander, the city comptroller, joins several other mayoral candidates who hope to woo voters with ambitious plans to make the city more affordable.

Many of his plan’s components, like increasing housing subsidies, would be costly. Others, like development on golf courses, are likely to encounter resistance from people living nearby.

But Mr. Lander, a Democrat, hopes his years of urban planning and political experience will help him navigate the many logistical and political challenges. As a City Council member, he helped push through the redevelopment of Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood, where thousands of homes are being built today.

“This is the work of my adult life,” Mr. Lander said in an interview. “I will be the best-prepared housing mayor.”

The housing crisis has become one of the biggest issues in the mayor’s race, with candidates trying to outdo one another through lofty promises to make the city more affordable.