STATEMENT: "Affordable for Who?” - NYS Assembly Candidate Michael Bailey Reacts to Proposed Bed-Stuy Housing Development

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STATEMENT: "Affordable for Who?” -

NYS Assembly Candidate Michael Bailey Reacts to Proposed Bed-Stuy Housing Development

Bailey calls for 'real leadership' to bring 'actually affordable' housing to Bedford-Stuyvesant and Assembly District 56

Media Contact: James@James-Christopher.com | (914) 482-4236

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026

Bedford Stuyvesant, NY- In response to the proposed redevelopment of the former Bed-Stuy Multi-Service Center at 1958 Fulton Street into 100% affordable housing, Democratic State Assembly Candidate Michael Bailey (running for AD 56; encompassing Bedford Stuvesant and portions of Crown Heights) released the following statement:

“Any new affordable housing in Bed-Stuy is a good thing, especially with so many working families struggling just to stay in the neighborhood.

But we also have to be honest: ‘affordable’ cannot just become a political buzzword if the people already living here still can’t realistically afford to live in these developments.

More than 27 percent of households in Bed-Stuy earn less than 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) and are considered extremely low-income, yet only 19 percent of rental units in the neighborhood are affordable at that level. More than half of residents are rent burdened, and nearly 30 percent are spending over half their income on rent every month.

In plain terms, that means many longtime Bed-Stuy residents are working hard, paying enormous portions of their paycheck toward rent, and still finding fewer and fewer places they can actually afford to live.

So, before projects like this move forward - not during - the question leaders should be asking is: affordable for who?

As a housing attorney, I’ve spent years helping tenants, families facing foreclosure, and longtime Brooklyn residents trying not to get pushed out of the communities they built. I’ve seen how often the numbers on paper don’t match the reality people are living every day.

I appluad our legislators' efforts to make New York more affordable, but I know we need to go beyond the status quo to meet the urgent moment.

Bed-Stuy needs development that reflects the actual income levels of the people already here — not just ribbon cuttings and press releases. That means deeper affordability, stronger tenant protections, and real opportunities for working families to stay and build wealth in the neighborhood they helped make what it is today.”

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About Michael Bailey:

Michael Bailey is a lifelong Bedford-Stuyvesant resident, attorney, small business owner, and community advocate running for State Assembly to fight for affordable housing, safer neighborhoods, and greater opportunity for working families in District 56 (encompassing Bedford-Stuyvesant and portions of Crown Heights).

To learn more, including Michael Bailey's plan to build a better district, together, click here: https://www.baileyfor56.com

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