1.
The Community Service Society’s Fast
Analysis of the 2014 New York City
Housing and Vacancy Survey
Tom Waters, Housing Policy Analyst
June 2015 www.cssny.org

2.
Background
On June 2, 2015, the U.S. Census Bureau released detailed data from the 2014 version
of its New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey, a survey of 18,000 New Yorkers
conducted every three years under contract with the New York City Department of
Housing Preservation and Development. CSS has conducted a preliminary analysis
of the results to shed light on the important housing issues facing the New York state
legislature this year, including the renewal of rent control, rent stabilization, and the
421-a development tax subsidy.
www.cssny.org

3.
Rents are rising rapidly, especially in the city’s
inner-ring neighborhoods
In order to sensitively assess the changing
state of the housing market in different
neighborhoods, CSS focused on the rents
being paid by tenants who have recently
moved. This eliminates the tendency of
lower rents paid by long-time tenants to
smooth out market changes and mask the
changes that affect tenants who are looking
for a place to live. This analysis shows large
changes in most of the city – rents rose by
32 percent citywide since 2002, even after
removing the effect of inflation.
The sharpest increases occurred in
neighborhoods surrounding the traditionally
high-rent area of Manhattan below Harlem.
Central Harlem led the way with a shocking
90 percent increase, with Bedford-
Stuyvesant second at 63 percent.
www.cssny.org
Up to 15 percent increase
No increase
15 to 30 percent increase
30 to 45 percent increase
More than 45 percent increase
Change in inflation-adjusted rent
Recent movers from 2002 to 2014
55%
34%
37%
32%
36%
34%90%
63%
52%
59%
54%
32%
40%
33%
42% 35%
41%

4.
Apartments affordable
to low-income households
in 2002
Apartments affordable
to low-income households
in 2011
Apartments affordable
to low-income households
in 2014
Change from
2002 to 2011
Bronx 238,100 149,100 135,775 -43% (102,325)
Brooklyn 339,500 214,800 196,295 -42% (143,205)
Manhattan 230,800 140,900 127,582 -45% (103,218)
Queens 158,700 86,800 73,057 -54% (85,643)
Staten Island 27,900 18,100 22,337 -20% (5,563)
TOTAL 995,000 609,700 555,046 -44% (439,954)
There is a Dwindling supply of affordable housing for
low-income people
The loss of rent-regulated housing to
vacancy deregulation is combining with
the loss of subsidized housing and with
rising rents overall to dramatically shrink
the city’s supply of housing affordable
to low-income households with incomes
below twice the federal poverty threshold.
Using the standard affordability threshold defined as 30 percent of household income.
2014
2014
2014
2014
2011
2011
2011
2011
2002
2002
2002
2002
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island
Apartments affordable to low-income households

5.
Rent increases are outstripping incomes, leading to
worsening rent burdens
Rents in New York City continue to rise faster than incomes. For low-income households, the result is
an ever-larger share of income being devoted to rent. Rent burdens are lower for rent-regulated low-
income tenants than for unregulated ones, but the gap appeared to narrow from 2011 to 2014.
www.cssny.org
Rising median rent burdens for low-income tenants
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
2011 2014
Rising median rent burdens for low-income tenants
Unregulated poor Regulated poor
Unregulated low-income Regulated low-income

6.
Who lives in Rent-Regulated Housing?
www.cssny.org
Median income Poor Near-poor Middle-income
Number of low-
income people
Rent-regulated tenant $45,000 15% 22% 28% 901,500
Unregulated tenant $61,000 12% 18% 27% 666,000
Subsidized* tenant $16,900 48% 30% 16% 663,300
Owner $80,000 6% 14% 25% 502,100
All New York City $52,600 15% 19% 25% 2,740,900
White Black Latino Asian
Immigrant-headed
household
Rent-regulated tenant 38% 21% 30% 10% 50%
Unregulated tenant 44% 18% 22% 15% 47%
Subsidized* tenant 14% 36% 44% 5% 37%
Owner 53% 19% 12% 15% 45%
All New York City 41% 21% 24% 12% 46%
Rent-regulated housing remains the most important resource for low-income New Yorkers with
household incomes less than twice the federal poverty threshold.
*Including NYCHA, all HUD project-based subsidies, Mitchell-Lama, and Section 8 vouchers

7.
Who lives in Rent-Regulated Housing?
www.cssny.org
10 to 20 percent
Up to 10 percent
20 to 40 percent
40 to 60 percent
More than 60 percent
Rent Regulated

8.
New Yorkers at all income levels support stronger rent laws
www.cssny.org
Total
Unsubsidized
renter
Low income
Low-income
unsubsidized renter
Moderate/
Higher income
Rent controlled or rent
stabilized renter
Low-income rent
controlled or rent
stabilized
Oppose Favor
20%20% 0%40% 40% 60% 80% 100%
11%
6%
8%
9%
74%
84%
66%
17%
12%
21%
84%
88%
90%
89%
60%
71%
51%
4% 73%
79%
81%
80%
4%
3%
3%
Oppose strongly
Oppose not so strongly
Favor strongly
Favor not so strongly
10%
6%
12%
Three-quarters of New Yorkers believe the state should create stronger protections for tenants in rent
stabilized apartments, with support particularly high among low-income respondents. CSS conducts
its own annual survey, The Unheard Third. This past year, we asked a random sample of New York City
residents the following: “Now I’m going to read you about a series of steps the state could take to help
more low-income New Yorkers reach the middle class. Please tell me if you favor or oppose each idea,
or if you are unsure: Create stronger protections for tenants in rent stabilized apartments.”
Source: The Unheard Third 2014, cited in forthcoming report “Stuck.”