LG Antonio Delgado talks affordable housing

In response to New York’s “housing crisis,” Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado says it falls upon the state to “figure out all the different ways to make housing more affordable.”

The Hudson Valley Democrat, who took over as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s lieutenant governor in late May, told The Capitol Pressroom that housing is an area where he wants to get more involved. When asked (in a follow up question) whether capping the growth of rent increases should be on the table, Delgado said, “All options should be considered.”

“My orientation to this issue is just to figure out what are the options that are available,” he said. “And then once you consider the options, you can decide what are the best options.”

When initially asked about limiting the growth of rents, Delgado acknowledged that finding affordable housing can be “incredibly challenging” for New Yorkers. He suggested “robust tax incentives” and a reexamination of area median income calculations as policies that need to be considered to address New York’s affordable housing needs. “All of these things have to be assessed in a robust and thoughtful way,” he said.

Over the weekend during a parade, a progre ssive activist confronted the lieutenant governor about his decision earlier this year not to sign on to a letter of support for the “Good Cause” legislation, which could have the effect of slowing the growth of rent in New York.