Housing For Formerly Incarcerated Could Test City Council's 'Member Deference'

"After City Hall pulled its support for an East Bronx project to build supportive housing for seriously ill people leaving jail, City Council members are considering overruling one of their own. A housing development that would create 58 apartments for formerly-incarcerated people with severe health needs in the Bronx is in jeopardy after the Adams administration pulled support for the project last week. Now, Council members are prepared to vote it through anyway, even as City Hall says the "Just Home" plan-which has spurred significant local pushback over the last three years-is now under review."

"The vote, which Gothamist reported will take place during the Council's stated meeting this Thursday, could advance the project over the objections of the local rep, overriding an informal practice called "member deference," where the Council won't vote a land use change through unless the home councilmember approves. The fight comes after Mayor Eric Adams' Charter Revision Commission took aim at the Council's land use powers by advancing four November ballot measures aimed at speeding up housing production in the city. "The mayor, with one hand, he's trying to steamroll us with these ballot proposals, and with the other hand, he's playing games on a f***ing housing proposal," said Councilmember Justin Brannan."

"The Just Home project has been controversial since it was first proposed in 2022, attracting raucous opposition at community board meetings. The project was approved by NYC Health and Hospitals' (H+H) board in 2024, and had the Adams administration's support as of last month. H+H owns the currently vacant building on the Jacobi Hospital campus in Morris Park where the development would be built. Thursday, in an unusual step, agency officials for H+H did not attend the City Council's Landmarks Committee meeting where their resolution to lease the land was being reviewed."

City Council members are preparing to vote to advance a 58-apartment supportive-housing development in Morris Park, Bronx, for formerly incarcerated people with severe health needs, despite the Adams administration withdrawing support. The project, called "Just Home," has faced three years of local opposition and was approved by NYC Health and Hospitals' board in 2024. The planned Council vote could override the informal practice of member deference and advance the project over the local representative's objections. H+H owns the vacant building on the Jacobi Hospital campus where the development would be sited, and H+H officials did not attend a Council meeting to present the lease resolution.

Read at City Limits