New York State of Politics reports that almost all elected officials and housing advocates agree there is a shortage of affordable spaces to rent or buy in New York. Cea Weaver, a campaign coordinator at Housing Justice for All, explains that, “In every part of the state, low-income New Yorkers can’t afford the rent and homelessness is at record highs.” There are currently a backlog of COVID-era eviction cases, much tenant displacement, and rising rents causing an affordable housing crisis. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced $38.2 million to establish outreach, engagement, and care coordination services for people experiencing homelessness outside of New York City but is not doing much to quickly add to the state’s housing stock. “The truth is, it just takes a really long time to build a building,” Weaver said. "The governor has already said that…she is not interested in supporting raising taxes and increasing permanent social service programs like rental assistance. She said that she opposes good cause eviction protections. So she’s putting, in our minds, all of her eggs in the wrong basket when it comes to solving the housing crisis.” Hochul is emphasizing working with developers to build new housing. “In our mind, the private sector is one of the underlying root causes of the housing crisis,” Weaver said. "A tax exemption is sort of a lazy way to produce market-rate housing and it’s just not going to work for the people who need housing the most.” Read the full story at New York State of Politics.