On the economy and housing, Americans want change. It starts at the local level.

In the 2024 presidential election, about one third of American voters ranked the economy as their most important issue, and approximately half of voters were troubled by housing costs. As the mayor of one of the fastest growing mid-size cities in New York, I can’t predict how the incoming presidential administration and Congress will respond to their concerns. But what I can do is lead where it matters most: right here in my community.

Every election cycle brings uncertainty. As a mayor, I’m left wondering what level of support—be it funding, resources or policy change—I can expect from any level of government. While I may hope for the best, I must plan for the worst. And by adopting that mentality, I’ve learned that there’s so much critical work that I can still accomplish on the ground.

City governments across the country have been tackling their constituents’ concerns head on for years. Most recently, in the midst of a historic nationwide housing crisis, our work has centered around taking innovative approaches to ensure residents have access to affordable homes.

In 2019, Minneapolis ended single-family exclusive zoning, enabling developers to construct multifamily buildings on lots where only single-family homes were previously allowed, and setting aside units for affordable housing. The city’s plan also included other reforms, such as eliminating parking requirements to make room for additional housing units and incentivizing transit-oriented development.

Last month, several city governments in central Ohio launched a regional housing coalition, a public-private partnership that will operate as a nonprofit and serve as a conduit for funding and prioritizing housing projects. The coalition’s goal is to build the 200,000 new homes that the region needs over the next decade.

And just this month, New York City passed the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the most significant effort to address the city’s housing crisis in decades. By legalizing accessory dwelling units, reducing parking requirements, incentivizing transit-oriented development and more, the plan is projected to create 80,000 desperately needed units of housing over the next 15 years.

While the housing crisis is national, the challenges each city faces are unique, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. What works in Minneapolis may not work in Columbus, Ohio. The more familiar governments are with their residents’ needs, the more successful they will be at addressing them. That’s why strong local leadership to make cities more affordable is crucial.

In New Rochelle, we enacted a forward-thinking housing strategy a decade ago—one that continues to serve our growing community today—when we overhauled our zoning code to accelerate the creation of new housing and help mitigate the regional supply shortage.

Unlike many other cities, which approve new zoning for buildings on a piecemeal basis, the New Rochelle City Council created a blueprint to streamline the approval process, forfeiting the power to debate each development individually and expediting the environmental review process for our downtown. Developers are still required to take the same steps as elsewhere, but here they can do so all at once, allowing them to bypass bureaucratic red tape that often deters new projects. 

Under New Rochelle’s form-based code, developers can gain approval in just 90 days. As a result, over the past decade, we’ve authorized more than 10,500 rental units and 500 condos, with nearly 1,500 units of housing opened within the last 12 months. Many of these new units have been brought online through a public-private partnership with RXR, our downtown master developer.

The New Rochelle Model is our approach, and I believe that local governments are best equipped to understand what their residents need to succeed. They should feel empowered to take the actions and enact the changes that they see fit, regardless of shifts in federal leadership. From applying for grants to hosting community listening sessions to exploring creative policy proposals, there’s ample opportunity for local action.

The funding, resources and policies that the federal government puts forth have far-reaching impacts, which is why we must continue to apply pressure to the incoming presidential administration and Congress to support local governments as we work to address our residents’ economic and housing needs. But if federal support falls short, there’s still meaningful progress we can achieve locally. 

Over the next several years, I will continue to work with city, state and federal partners to make New Rochelle more affordable and accessible for anyone who chooses to live here, and I encourage every city leader to do the same. Our combined local efforts are making this country a better place for all who call it home.