At a glance:

Slingshot Strategies began working with Open New York in 2022, a pro-development housing nonprofit founded in 2017 and served as a key advisor and communications consultant for their early team. By 2023, the group has five full-time employees, including a new executive director, Annemarie Gray, whom Slingshot helped recruit, and the organization is a go-to source for major outlets—the New York Times, New York Post, Daily News, Albany Times Union, City & State, City Limits, among several others—on housing issues.

Shaping the Housing Narrative in New York

New York is in the midst of a decades-long, dire housing shortage and affordability crisis. Elected officials have failed to meet the moment and understand the urgency of the situation. Similar to other parts of the country, a small but loud NIMBY minority uses their voices to oppose housing development and drown out the voices of average New Yorkers who understand that we need to build more housing.

But through constant press outreach and forming a well-tailored message, we have uplifted Open New York’s core fight—of approving rezonings and passing legislation that removes barriers to housing production—to the center of the housing narrative in the city and across the state. Open New York has been embraced by prominent local and national publications as a go-to voice on housing news, while its view of the symptoms of and potential solutions for the housing crisis has been embraced in their coverage.

“Open New York [is] ascending during what feels like a political turning point in the city. A new consensus is emerging that, rather than building too much luxury housing, the real problem is New York hasn’t built nearly enough of anything. “

- New York Magazine

Moving the Conversation:

Governor Hochul's Housing Agenda

In the lead-up to the Albany budget fight, Open New York Executive Director Annemarie Gray established herself as a leading voice on housing, appearing as a panelist at marquee housing events. With the press, Slingshot successfully got Open New York in the news media more than 50 times, including interviews, TV appearances, opinion pieces, quotes in news coverage, and podcasts.
Open New York, therefore, played a major role in shifting the public narrative about housing. There’s no better evidence of that than the fact that when it came time for policies to be hashed out by the Governor and leaders of the Legislature, they were policies that amounted to a version of our own platform that was being debated. Open New York was looked to for comments, evaluation, and tips for why an unapologetically pro-housing agenda is the politically popular way forward.
Through the press, Open New York created an environment for action—where housing has become one of the most prominent political issues throughout the city and state. Elected officials and everyday New Yorkers are now treating housing with the urgency it deserves and there is no longer any hiding from the issue. Every day, New Yorkers are opening their phones, computers, and newspapers to read about the housing crisis, see in those stories Open New York's solutions for solving it, and are aligning together to demand action.

Rapid Response:

Inserting Open New York's Message into Key Housing Moments

Open New York consistently gets statements and comments into stories in the wake of political announcements and moments about housing, both big and small. By responding to the moment and maintaining a clear message, Open New York is able to alert journalists to the significance of announcements and actions taken by Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, and anything housing-related and hold elected officials' feet to the fire.

Bloomberg

“These actions are necessary, important, and yet insufficient to address the scale of our housing crisis,” Open New York said in a statement. “Nonetheless, we are pleased to see the governor do what she can to make up some ground.”

Politico

“While we welcome these actions, New York will only see changes that match the magnitude of the crisis when the Governor and the State Legislature come together to pass major legislation," Annemarie Gray, executive director of the advocacy group Open New York, said in a statement.

New York Daily News

Open New York, an advocacy group focused on housing, expressed support for Hochul’s orders but urged her to reach a deal with lawmakers...

Times Union

Housing expert Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York, cautioned that the ‘reality is that few municipalities will take advantage of the new 'pro-housing' designations.

The Real Deal

“It is bleak that New York seems to be throwing up its hands and doing nothing,” said Andrew Fine, Open New York’s policy director.

The New York Post

“Thousands of units might have gotten built had the Legislature approved an extension of the 421a tax abatement for real estate developments for projects already underway though the exact number is hard to say,” according to Andrew Fine policy director at the housing advocacy group Open New York.

Politico

“While Albany is spending the day finger-pointing their way through failure, it is beyond clear that there is more than enough blame to be spread around,” Annemarie Gray, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.

Times Union

Open New York, a group that supports both good cause and housing development, expressed frustration with both sides.

“While Albany is spending the day finger-pointing their way through failure, it is beyond clear that there is more than enough blame to be spread around,” Annemarie Gray, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.