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Reported from the Imagination of New Yorkers

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Issue 1: Housing Issue 2: Immigration Issue 3: Power Issue 4: Education
NY2044_issue1_color ⛶

Issue-1-Housing

Issue 1 — Housing

In this first issue, NY2044 looks at the horizon, farther into, and perhaps beyond, the current housing crisis. Our correspondents are deeply involved in solving it, and living it. Sam Stein, a housing policy researcher whose work on social housing and rent regulation has shaped the debate for years, imagines a New York State that stops waiting for the market and starts buying. Jenny Dubnau, a painter and longtime housing activist whose work is inseparable from her politics, reports from inside a reclaimed supertall — a tower that squatters turned into a community before the city caught up. Monxo López, curator at the Museum of the City of New York and co-founder of the Mott Haven Community Land Trust, envisions a Bronx that has turned its flood vulnerability into a mandate for land justice. Together, these correspondents paint a city learning — slowly, contentiously, and with enormous stakes — to treat housing as infrastructure rather than investment.

View PDF: NY2044 Issue 1

Food and Shelter Learning and Democracy Energy, Land and Infrastructure Labor, Unions and AI Care and Identity
Issue cover
Issue Story

Need a NYC Home? Here’s the Passcode.

No Questions Asked

Reporter Profile
Reported from the Imagination of Anonymous NYC Housing Official
One year after securing expanded powers, NYC Housing Czar Jex Radbone is overseeing a renaissance in affordable housing. Gone are the days of endless paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles. "You need a home? Here's the key," says Radbone, their voice echoing the program's core principle: swift and dignified access to housing. This success stems from several factors. First, Radbone's ability to...

Read the Full Story →

NYC Home Key (NY2044)
Issue Story

NYC is Buying if Landlords are Selling

10 billion dollar war chest 

Reporter Profile
Reported from the Imagination of Sam Stein
In the latest push to provide housing to New Yorkers who have long been shut out of the housing market, New York State is going on a massive buying spree. Effective today, those fortunate enough to own New York real estate can sell their lots, buildings, or apartments at market rate to the Social Housing Development Authority—the state entity that...

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New York Real Estate (NY2044)
Issue Story

Land Party Sweeps Bronx Elections

Reporter Profile
Reported from the Imagination of Monxo Lopez
A political earthquake has struck the Bronx. In a landslide victory, the Land Party, a progressive political movement organized by the Mott Haven Community Land Trust, swept the borough's recent elections. This decisive win comes on the heels of the last major superstorm, and amid the anxiety sparked by the prediction of a massive one to make landfall on Monday—...

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Bronx Elections (NY2044)
Issue Story

From Ghost Skyscraper to Public Haven

Abandoned Tower Becomes First in Housing Takeover

Reporter Profile
Reported from the Imagination of Jenny Dubnau
For over a decade, it stood as a symbol of broken dreams, one of many unfinished luxury supertall skyscrapers towering over Brooklyn and Queens, its skeletal frame choked by weeds and graffiti. But today, the story of the "East River Ghost" takes a dramatic turn. In a landmark decision, the city announced it will be the first abandoned skyscraper to...

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Issue Story

Chinatown’s “Jailscraper” Falls

Hunger Strike Ushers in Era of Supportive Housing

Reporter Profile
Reported from the Imagination of Betty Yu
Inmates Secure Victory After Month-Long Protest, City Announces Plans for Transformative Re-Use In a groundbreaking move, New York City has agreed to permanently close the infamous "jailscraper" in Chinatown, following a month-long hunger strike by inmates that brought national attention to the facility's deplorable conditions. The city will convert the imposing high-rise into supportive housing units, marking a significant policy...

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Chinatown Tower (NY2044)

Stories in This Issue

NYC Home Key (NY2044)

Need a NYC Home? Here’s the Passcode.

No Questions Asked

Author Portrait

One year after securing expanded powers, NYC Housing Czar Jex Radbone is overseeing a renaissance in affordable housing. Gone are the days of endless paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles. “You need…

Read More “Need a NYC Home? Here’s the Passcode.” »

Food and Shelter
New York Real Estate (NY2044)

NYC is Buying if Landlords are Selling

10 billion dollar war chest 

Author Portrait

In the latest push to provide housing to New Yorkers who have long been shut out of the housing market, New York State is going on a massive buying spree….

Read More “NYC is Buying if Landlords are Selling” »

Energy, Land and Infrastructure

Meet the Republicans Who Saved NYCHA

Section 9 Expands With Bipartisan Support

Author Portrait

In a once-unthinkable display of bipartisan cooperation, Republicans and Democrats have joined forces to spearhead bold housing legislation. And this time, they’ve managed to save public housing in the state….

Read More “Meet the Republicans Who Saved NYCHA” »

Food and Shelter
Bronx Elections (NY2044)

Land Party Sweeps Bronx Elections

Author Portrait

A political earthquake has struck the Bronx. In a landslide victory, the Land Party, a progressive political movement organized by the Mott Haven Community Land Trust, swept the borough’s recent…

Read More “Land Party Sweeps Bronx Elections” »

Energy, Land and Infrastructure

Why Housing is No Longer a Good Investment

Author Portrait

Forget skyrocketing prices. Forget property ownership as a path to generational wealth. In today’s New York City, homeownership means stability, not investment. A decade of progressive legislation is now bearing…

Read More “Why Housing is No Longer a Good Investment” »

Food and Shelter

Nycha Beats Bezos On Robot Lawsuit

Public Housing Incubator Retains Control Of Cleaning Bot Patent

Author Portrait

In a David vs. Goliath court case, a public housing initiative in New York City has emerged victorious from a legal battle against Amazon Robotics. Project Helping Hands, a resident-led…

Read More “Nycha Beats Bezos On Robot Lawsuit” »

Food and Shelter

Staten Island Train Line Powers Up This Week

Forgotten Borough Now Poised for Transformation as High-Speed Rail Connects to Manhattan

Author Portrait

After decades of lagging behind housing density in the other boroughs, Staten Island is on the cusp of a major transformation. This week marks the long-awaited inauguration of the Staten…

Read More “Staten Island Train Line Powers Up This Week” »

Energy, Land and Infrastructure

From Ghost Skyscraper to Public Haven

Abandoned Tower Becomes First in Housing Takeover

Author Portrait

For over a decade, it stood as a symbol of broken dreams, one of many unfinished luxury supertall skyscrapers towering over Brooklyn and Queens, its skeletal frame choked by weeds…

Read More “From Ghost Skyscraper to Public Haven” »

Food and Shelter

Finally Catching Up To New Jersey

The Fair Share Housing Reality In New York

Author Portrait

Blanche Rootbeam’s morning coffee routine has taken on a new dimension. Every day, 70-year-old Rootbeam shares a cup with Anala Babu, her 22-year-old neighbor, who, along with her girlfriend Sally,…

Read More “Finally Catching Up To New Jersey” »

Food and Shelter

Roomers Survive Drone Mishap

Food Delivery System Crashes Into Stages Of Life Building’s “Kiddy Cubbies”

Author Portrait

Old and young, speakers of dozens of languages, of comfortable or modest means, they all looked out of their windows two evenings ago and saw what no New Yorker wants…

Read More “Roomers Survive Drone Mishap” »

Care and Identity

A Teacher’s Tower, Courtesy the City’s Worst Landlord

Author Portrait

Remember when Adams was re-elected for his third term? It was a low point for the city—an era remembered for its rent gouging, casino construction, and abandoned supertall towers. But…

Read More “A Teacher’s Tower, Courtesy the City’s Worst Landlord” »

Food and Shelter
Chinatown Tower (NY2044)

Chinatown’s “Jailscraper” Falls

Hunger Strike Ushers in Era of Supportive Housing

Author Portrait

Inmates Secure Victory After Month-Long Protest, City Announces Plans for Transformative Re-Use In a groundbreaking move, New York City has agreed to permanently close the infamous “jailscraper” in Chinatown, following…

Read More “Chinatown’s “Jailscraper” Falls” »

Care and Identity

Protestors Shut Down Brooklyn’s Largest Casino As Flood Waters Rise

Author Portrait

Protestors flooded the opulent gold-plated entrance of the Kushner Casino in Brooklyn this morning, covering the lobby with old mattresses. They also pulled the electronic gambling “pokies” out of the…

Read More “Protestors Shut Down Brooklyn’s Largest Casino As Flood Waters Rise” »

Food and Shelter

West Village Owners Bow To Intergenerational Pressure

Famed Hospital of the AIDS Crisis to Become Supportive Housing

Author Portrait

In a poignant return to its roots, the former St. Vincent’s Hospital in the heart of the West Village will support New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. This groundbreaking move comes after…

Read More “West Village Owners Bow To Intergenerational Pressure” »

Care and Identity

NEW YORK 2044 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS: ISSUE 1: HOUSING

Screenshot

ITEM_REF: Screenshot

Did You Know (NY2044)

ITEM_REF: Did You Know (NY2044)

2044
2044 Staten Island high‑speed rail line opens
2040
early‑2040s Social Housing Authority created and funded.
2039
2039 The 'housing is a human right' movement finally has teeth.
2036
2030s Post‑Great Collapse, wave of small and midsize landlords struggle with vacancies and maintenance.
2035
2030s–2040s Mott Haven Community Land Trust grows
2034
2030s Real Estate Board of NY (REBNY) era of speculative housing investment at its peak.
2028
Late 2020s Stages of Life building in Williamsburg is retrofitted.
late 2020s YIMBY luxury supertall craze
2028 State‑funded incubators begin
2025
late 2020s Controversial Chinatown jailscraper is constructed.
2025 Republicans still trying to cut HUD funding.
2020
2020s Tenant movement lost “its teeth”
1982
1980's St. Vincent's became "ground zero" for treating AIDS patients
1975
1975 Mount Laurel Doctrine in New Jersey

Correspondents

Alex Strada Alex Strada Issue 1: Housing
Alicia Boyd Alicia Boyd Issue 1: Housing
Amalia Cuadra Amalia Cuadra
Amy Chester Amy Chester
Amy Zimmer Amy Zimmer
Angelo Cabrera Angelo Cabrera
Anonymous NYC Housing Official Anonymous NYC Housing Official Issue 1: Housing
Anonymous NYC Resident
Ashley Dawson Ashley Dawson
Betty Yu Betty Yu Issue 1: Housing
Brenda Loya Brenda Loya
Ciarán Finlayson Ciarán Finlayson
Daphne Lundi Daphne Lundi
Daven Asafo-Agyei Daven Asafo-Agyei
David Leo Rice David Leo Rice
Ellen Baum Ellen Baum
Elyn Jin Elyn Jin
Emily Gallagher Emily Gallagher Issue 1: Housing
Erica Marks Erica Marks
Felice Kerby Felice Kerby Issue 1: Housing
Frances Hogan Frances Hogan
Ingrid Gould Ingrid Gould Issue 1: Housing
Ioana Literat Ioana Literat
Jacob Cohen Jacob Cohen
Jeehae Fischer Jeehae Fischer
Jennifer Mei
Jenny Dubnau Jenny Dubnau Issue 1: Housing
Jerzy Jerzy Issue 1: Housing
Jordan Rogove Jordan Rogove
Kate Poor Kate Poor
Kim Fraczek Kim Fraczek
Lee-Sean Huang Lee-Sean Huang
Marquis Jenkin Marquis Jenkin Issue 1: Housing
Matt Peterson Matt Peterson
Mei-lun Xue Mei-lun Xue
Merrill Zack Merrill Zack
Miguel Robles Duran Miguel Robles Duran Issue 1: Housing
Monxo Lopez Monxo Lopez Issue 1: Housing
Ms.Kelly Ms.Kelly
Nato Thompson Nato Thompson
Ramona Ferreyra Ramona Ferreyra Issue 1: Housing
Richard Kessler Richard Kessler
Sam Stein Sam Stein Issue 1: Housing
Sarah Truelsch Sarah Truelsch
Shino Tanikawa Shino Tanikawa
Steve Lawton Steve Lawton
Yasira Nun Yasira Nun

[1848] The New American Dream?
[1881] People Fleeing Climate Crisis Finally Win Refugee Status
[1882] Immigrants To Be Guaranteed Homes In Historic Hud Shift
[1975] Finally Catching Up To New Jersey
[1978] Thermal Pipeline Hub To Host City’s Newest Museum
[1982] West Village Owners Bow To Intergenerational Pressure
[2003] When Your Neighbour Is A Gas Holdout
[2019] Inside the Gates of Hell
[2020] Protestors Shut Down Brooklyn’s Largest Casino As Flood Waters Rise
[2021] The End Of Watery Death Traps In NYC
[2025] Meet the Republicans Who Saved NYCHA
[2025] The De-Growth Job Training Hub On Governors Island
[2025] Chinatown’s “Jailscraper” Falls
[2026] They Funded Rockets. Now They’re Funding Readers
[2028] Nycha Beats Bezos On Robot Lawsuit

Jordan_Comic_1 (NY2044)

Reported from the imagination of Jordan Rogove

New York 2044 Reported from the Imagination of New Yorkers.

About This Paper

A speculative journalism project imagining New York City in the year 2044 — housing, power, immigration, and the shape of a city that survived.

Reported by correspondents from across the city's communities.

How We Report Masthead Correspondents Contact Live Events

The Issues

Issue 1: Housing Where will New Yorkers live?
Issue 2: Immigration Who gets to stay?
Issue 3: Power Who controls the grid?
Issue 4: Education Who defines knowledge?
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