Affordable Housing in New York: The People, Places, and Policies That Transformed a City Hardcover – November 17, 2015

A beautifully illustrated, thoughtfully organized, and compellingly written history of affordable housing in New York City. A range of projects — iconic and obscure, public and private, old and new — are profiled from their initial planning through the present day, and accompanied by specially commissioned photographs of residents going about their daily life. This humanistic approach offers a refreshing contrast to stereotyped images of affordable housing, which tend to focus on austere brick facades and derelict open spaces. Bloom and Lasner, both of whom have published widely on the history of low- and middle-income housing, provide detailed overviews of particular periods: the legacy of philanthropic housing, the rise of public housing, the emergence of CDCs, etc.All in all, an essential guide for both newcomers to the field and practitioners interested in learning more about the history of their profession.

Lasner and Dagen Bloom have taken an in-depth look at Affordable Housing in New York- a topic too often ignored, but ever more pressing as the divide between the have's and the have not's intensifies. This reader is a great entry into this topic--a program that assists nearly one-in-eight of all documented New Yorkers. The book follows the inspired planning feats that propelled the program to what has cumulatively become the most ambitious--and arguably most successful program of its kind in the free world. Bringing these projects to the forefront reminds us of the social contracts signed by our predecessors and will leave the reader wondering how our metropolis expects to continue in the future, as the city densifies but affordable housing production stagnates.

At a time when NYC is increasingly known for its luxury housing, its great to have a reminder that this is also a city that has historically been the most aggressive and creative in the nation at supplying affordable housing. This book does a terrific job of telling this story. A must-read book for anyone interested in either New York City of affordable housing, or both!

This is an excellent book with a great overview of affordable housing in NYC. It is definitely worthy of more than one star. The reviews herein are clearly part of an agenda - you can google some of reviewers and get a sense of what is going on. Regardless, definitely pick up a copy of this book!

great book, a must for whoever lives in new York or work in real estate.

A great history of affordable housing

Excellent one of a kind very complete and informative

Brilliantly written and researched, and beautifully presented.