Kate Lisa reports for New York State of Politics that in January Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed building 800,000 new units across New York to address the affordable housing crisis. But the legislature did not go along with her plan. Instead, Hochul announced on Aug. 1 a plan to build 800 affordable housing units in and around New York City. Hochul said, "Opening up more housing, all levels of housing – low income, affordable, mixed use market rate, it doesn't matter; we have such demand for housing in this state.... if we don't provide the availability of all these options - and government has a role to play with the private sector and the community – if we don't do our job there, then that's going to be a reason people leave." Hochul is spending $406 million to build 800 units of affordable housing in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Suffolk and Westchester counties, but not upstate. Hochul also spoke about the legislators who blocked her original proposal for 800,000 units, saying, "Change is hard.... It takes time, but I think what's important is that legislators hear from the people who live in these communities. ... People need a safe, affordable place to live. And we have a responsibility. And I'm not going to sit by and let time march on without doing something because this is a crisis." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics