Brewer Criticizes Mamdani's Affordable Housing Rezoning Plan
Council Member Gale Brewer says the plan shifts rezoning power away from the City Council in 12 neighborhoods.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in City Hall
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New York City Council member Gale Brewer, a Democrat representing the Upper West Side, criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani's affordable-housing rezoning plan. Under a November 2025 ballot measure, the City Council loses its voting power over affordable-housing rezonings starting January 1, and the Planning Commission will get final say in 12 neighborhoods with the least affordable housing.
Why it matters
The change shortens the rezoning review process for affordable-housing projects in those neighborhoods from seven months to 90 days, altering how local residents and elected representatives can weigh in on development. The dispute centers on how much authority the City Council retains as Mamdani pursues his goal of 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade.
The affordable-housing rezoning review period in the 12 targeted neighborhoods will drop from seven months to 90 days under the new laws. Mamdani has named five picks for the New York City Planning Commission, and the City Council has until later this month to act before those nominees are automatically confirmed.
The players
Gale Brewer
Gale Brewer is a Democratic New York City Council member representing the Upper West Side, and she has handled over 200 proposed-rezoning reviews during her tenure.
Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City, who is pursuing a goal of 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade.
Anthony Crowell
Anthony Crowell is one of the two commission re-appointments Mamdani has proposed for the New York City Planning Commission.
The details
Brewer raised objections during a Monday council session on the mayor's nominees, arguing against the shift in authority. Mamdani named the Upper West Side among the targeted neighborhoods in October, and his proposed commission re-appointments include Anthony Crowell.
Timeline
November 2025: Ballot measure strips the City Council of its voting power over affordable-housing rezonings.
October: Mamdani names the Upper West Side as a targeted neighborhood.
Monday: Brewer criticizes the mayor's plan during a council session on the nominees.
January 1: The Planning Commission gains final say over affordable-housing rezonings in the 12 neighborhoods.
Later this month: The City Council's deadline to act before the nominees are automatically confirmed.
Political Context
The November 2025 ballot measure moved final approval of affordable-housing rezonings from the City Council to the Planning Commission, and Brewer's objections challenge that structural change. The debate turns on whether shortening the review from seven months to 90 days in the 12 targeted neighborhoods speeds housing or limits local input.
Residents in the 12 targeted neighborhoods, including the Upper West Side, will see affordable-housing rezoning decisions made on a 90-day timeline rather than seven months. Local input will now run through the Planning Commission rather than the City Council, changing where neighbors can register objections to nearby projects.
The takeaway
Shifting rezoning authority from the City Council to the Planning Commission accelerates affordable-housing approvals in designated neighborhoods but narrows the elected channel for community objections. Readers in those neighborhoods should track the council's action on the nominees this month and the Planning Commission's first decisions after January 1.
What happens next
The City Council must act by later this month on Mamdani's Planning Commission nominees, or they will be automatically confirmed. The Planning Commission's final say over affordable-housing rezonings in the 12 neighborhoods begins January 1.
Further reading
For more on the local fight over development authority, see the City Hall coverage.
Live Poll
Should neighborhood councils keep a direct vote on affordable-housing rezonings in your area?
