NYC Mayor Floats Allowing Windowless Bedrooms

Gothamist reports:

Mayor Eric Adams opened a new window into his vision for building New York City out of the current housing crisis, with a riff on “dormitory” style accommodations generating a fair amount of backlash from fellow New Yorkers. During a conversation on Monday, Adams said he wants to “do a real examination” of the laws that require windows in bedrooms — a major tweak that could make it easier for developers to convert empty offices into apartments.

Nationally, the idea of dormitory-style dwellings are taking off. As Curbed reported, windowless bedrooms are legal elsewhere in the country, fueling a push to allow the same in unused office buildings. But advocates for low-income New Yorkers say changing building laws, like getting rid of window requirements, could lead to worse conditions for the poorest residents who are forced to take whatever housing they can get.

Read the full article.

Do bedrooms need windows? Mayor Adams floats controversial office-to-apartment conversions. https://t.co/BqDgiLjuLs via @gothamist via @DavidFBrand

— Brigid Bergin (@brigidbergin) March 22, 2023