A colorful portrait of the people, places, and policies that have helped make New York City livable, Affordable Housing in New York is a comprehensive, authoritative, and richly illustrated history of the city’s public and middle-income housing from the 1920s to today. Plans, models, archival photos, and newly commissioned portraits of buildings and tenants by sociologist and photographer David Schalliol put the efforts of the past century into context, and the book also looks ahead to future prospects for below-market subsidized housing. A dynamic account of an evolving city, Affordable Housing in New York is essential reading for understanding and advancing debates about how to enable future generations to call New York home.
Awards and Recognition
- “Book Title of the Year,” as selected for Curbed.com’s Architecture in 2015: A Year in Review
Nicholas Dagen Bloom is professor of urban policy and planning at Hunter College, City University of New York. His books include Public Housing That Worked: New York in the Twentieth Century. Matthew Gordon Lasner is associate professor of urban studies and planning at Hunter College, City University of New York. He is the author of High Life: Condo Living in the Suburban Century.
"An excellent primer on the many efforts that have been made toward tackling affordability, with lessons both cautionary and encouraging."—Anthony Paletta, Metropolis
"A compelling story of housing innovation, urban determination, and, most importantly, essential human progress."—Henry Cisneros, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
"A superb history. . . . [An] essential book."—Jayne Merkel, Architectural Record
"Celebrates New York City's best efforts at providing low-income families a high-quality place to live. . . . Adding extra visual depth is a standout section of images."—Surface
"Wonderful. . . . [S]heds new light on this multifaceted history."—Olympia Kazi, Architect’s Newspaper
"An engaging account of more than a century of efforts to provide New Yorkers with below-market housing."—Lawrence Vale, author of Purging the Poorest: Public Housing and the Design Politics of Twice-Cleared Communities