Histories of Social Housing in NYC

Janes Walk

SOLD OUT, WAITLIST FULL

Led By Katelin Penner, House the Future

New York City, as always, is in a deep, unrelenting housing crisis. During this walk — which covers the Lower East Side — we will look at various housing models New York City experimented with during the 20th century, from public housing (a model that would have been successful with consistent federal funding), to limited equity co-operatives, to Mitchell Lama developments. We’ll consider how these models, most of which remove market pressures from housing, could be adapted to meet the city’s current housing needs, and talk about the growing movement for social housing in New York. This tour, which will last approximately 2 hours, will be lead by Katelin Penner, a writer and urban planner working in New York City.

Accessibility

The route will be about 2 miles, and we will walk at a slow pace. The route will be accessible to wheelchair users. The East Broadway F will be the closest subway station, and Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall will be the closest ADA accessible subway station. If you are hard of hearing and are interested in joining the walk, please contact me so I can see about getting an interpreter. Activities for young children will be provided!

Location Information

RSVP is required and capacity is limited. Meeting location, ending location, and directions will be provided via email before walk date.

guided

Saturday, May 2, 2026
3:00 PM
2 hours

Borough: Brooklyn
Theme: Advocacy, Art & Architecture, History & Culture
Language: English
Hillman Housing buildngs at 550 Grand Street (closest) and 530 Grand Street in Cooperative Village in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Joel Raskin. Modifications: cropped.