Gowanus, Brooklyn

Gowanus, Brooklyn

Gowanus Framework cover page.

Gowanus: A Framework for a Sustainable, Inclusive, Mixed-use Neighborhood, released in June 2018, provides a comprehensive review of the goals, strategies, recommendations, and land use changes synthesized from the community engagement and public outreach conducted through the Gowanus Neighborhood Planning Study. The Framework identifies seven categories: Community and Cultural Resources; Economic and Job Development; Housing; Land Use and Urban Form; Sustainability and Resiliency; and Transportation.

Process

HPD co-led the Housing Working Group in spring 2017, which met monthly to discuss housing issues and develop goals and strategies. Meeting topics included affordability and new housing, NYCHA, tenant protection and preservation, and resiliency.

Framework

The Gowanus Framework includes a chapter (beginning on page 39) dedicated to housing and another chapter (beginning on page 53) specifically for NYCHA. The Housing chapter summarizes the goals heard from community engagement and outreach, and proposes strategies and recommendations HPD and partner agencies can lead to meet those goals.

Goals include preserving existing affordable housing, promoting the development of new affordable housing, and increasing access to affordable housing. Taken as a whole, the City will pursue strategies such as outreach to homeowners with resources to help them repair their homes, improvements to NYCHA campuses, implementation of the Certification of No Harassment, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing along 4th Avenue, development of affordable housing on publicly-owned land, outreach and education via HPD’s Housing Ambassadors, and better advertisement of housing lotteries.