Espinal’s Basement Apartment Initiative Gains Budget Traction

The Mayor’s preliminary budget in getting the city to pivot on a long-standing building regulation, to retrofit basements to provide safe, legal and rentable dwellings. The Citizens Housing and Planning Council, is also pushing to legalize basement rentals as a means to add more affordable housing.  Last February, the organization introduced an extensive study detailing the benefits of legalizing basement apartments.   Executive Director Jessica Katz, said that her organization is very pleased with this development. “Basement apartments are an untapped resource in NYC’s tight rental market, and New Yorkers are living in them whether we like it or not, so it is of critical importance to find a way to make basements livable and safe.”