Housing advocates this week are set to roll out their agenda for the coming year ahead of a state Assembly hearing on the issue and are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to back their agenda in Albany that calls for boosted spending to build more affordable units across the state. 

The effort from the New York Housing Conference, a coalition that includes 14 organizations, calls for an increase in capital spending for affordable housing and to place a priority on rental housing, supportive housing and environmental sustainability.

The groups are also calling for transparency in capital spending by having the state regularly publish data on how money is being allocated for housing.

A letter to Hochul this month sought to lay the groundwork for the new legislative session in Albany, which begins in January, and advocates are preparing to help shape a new five-year housing capital plan, and want to have one in perpetuity in New York. 

"These investments are not only the best tools we have to protect vulnerable New Yorkers and end chronic homelessness, they are also fiscally responsible," advocates wrote.

Advocates have argued the short-term cost for a five-year capital plan for housing contains short-term costs given the currently low interest rates and could help provide a jolt to the economy. It is estimated every 100 units of affordable housing construction cna create 120 construction jobs as well as 135 indirect and induced jobs. It would also lead to $43.5 million in direct and indirect economic activity. 

More broadly, advocates point to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the risks for homeless people during the crisis.  

"The pandemic has highlighted the importance of housing in keeping New Yorkers healthy, as housing insecurity and homelessness increase viral spread and mortality," advocates wrote to Hochul. "A five-year plan – especially one that is codified – will mitigate current and future public health crises, provide needed economic stimulus, and create a healthier New York."