A New York Official Is Filling Community Boards With Pro-Housing Members

Solutions to the housing crisis often face a small but mighty roadblock: Local residents tend to resist more development in their neighborhoods, and they typically have clout.

This has often been true in New York City, where groups of activists and civic leaders — sitting on 59 community boards — have earned a reputation for saying no to new housing.

Now, Mark Levine, the borough president of Manhattan, is trying to flip that narrative. He is using his power to appoint board members who are amenable to change — and to replace those who would stand in the way. Of the more than 100 people he has appointed or reappointed, he characterized more than 80 percent as “pro-housing,” as determined by a questionnaire he gives them before they are chosen.

His efforts have been contentious, with opponents accusing him of capitulating to the real estate industry. But his practices may already be having an effect.

“Community boards have an extremely important voice,” Mr. Levine said. “And my office, this is an area where I have some direct levers to pull.”

Mr. Levine’s push is yet another indicator of how a crushing housing crisis is reshaping New York City politics. A recent survey indicated that the city’s shortage is the worst it has been in half a century, fueling a rise in the cost of living that could push rents to break records again this summer.