New York City’s Housing Economics Are Broken—and It’s Squeezing Everyone

Nov 4 2025 (excerpt)

Vacancy rates have plunged to historic lows, sitting at just 1.4% citywide. For the most affordable units—those priced at $1,100 or less—that number drops to just 0.7%, according to the most recent Housing and Vacancy Survey.

That scarcity has pushed median asking rents to $3,491 in the second quarter of 2025, or 55% of the typical household income, according to Realtor.com® data. For would-be buyers, the outlook isn’t much better: Mortgage originations have dropped across all five boroughs, falling to their lowest level since at least 2006.

The consequences are piling up. Housing affordability has become a flashpoint in the city’s highly contentious mayoral election, all while the city’s shelter population has soared well past pre-pandemic levels, with families now making up a growing share of the surge, according to data from NYU Furman Center.

“People are moving out of New York because they don't have housing options,” says Rachel Fee, executive director of the New York Housing Conference, a nonprofit devoted to advancing affordable housing for all New Yorkers. “And if this is not addressed, it will take a toll on our economy.”

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The median renter household made $63,698 in 2023—about 20% more than in 2013 after adjusting for inflation. But more than half of renters still spend at least 30% of their income on rent. And while rents in 2023 were 25% higher than they were in 2007, renter incomes were only 15% higher, down from their peak in 2019.

The burden is especially acute for renters earning between $30,000 and $80,000 annually. These households often fall into a policy blind spot: They earn too much to qualify for deeply subsidized housing but not enough to afford market-rate rents in most neighborhoods. As a result, many in this income band spend well above 30%—and in some cases more than 50%—of their income on housing, putting them at higher risk of housing instability, financial distress, or eviction.

https://www.realtor.com/advice/finance/nyc-housing-economics-affordability-crisis/

>>23828566

If NYC got rid of the illegal population that would free up a lot of affordable housing units. Rents tend to go down when inventory expands. Instead, Zorhan is going to bar ICE from deporting them. This keeps rents up with less inventory of rental units available.

Zorhan is a disaster to NYC real estate. When (and if) he freezes rents, apartments will not be maintained. When the apartments reach the point they are "unlivable", the building has lost value. Whole neighborhoods are lost to decay.

Under Zoharan, the price of real estate will come down in NYC, just not the way he has presented it to occur.

[Go ahead. Snap up the big bargains. KEK.]

New York City real estate is “undervalued” for the first time in decades, but there’s a catch

Nov 6 2025

For decades, New Yorkers have lamented sky-high rents and the affordability crisis that pushed many to leave the city, but a closely watched housing indicator suggests Manhattan may have quietly become a relative bargain - particularly for cash buyers.

According to Nick Gerli of Reventure App, the home value-to-rent ratio in Manhattan — the city’s wealthiest borough — has dropped to its lowest level in more than 20 years. That could make it an appealing market for investors or buyers paying in cash, who stand to save compared to renting.

Manhattan home values have declined by roughly 20% from their 2022 peak, while rents have remained high or recovered more quickly, resulting in a sharp decline in the ratio of home values to rents.

“Ignore talk about “NYC-exodus” and buy Manhattan long-term,” Gerli wrote. “It’s one of the few truly undervalued housing markets in the U.S.”

Gerli points to post-pandemic stabilization in population trends as evidence that demand is returning. Manhattan’s population has been rising again since 2023, suggesting the pandemic-era exodus is starting to reverse.

Still, Gerli cautions that “undervalued” does not mean “affordable.” The median condo price in Manhattan remains above $1 million, with monthly costs — when factoring in taxes, mortgage payments, and HOA fees — often exceeding $8,000. For most Americans, owning a home in Manhattan remains out of reach.

What has changed is the market’s relative value: compared with rents and long-term trends, Manhattan real estate now looks more favorable for buyers and investors than at any time in recent memory.

https://investorsobserver.com/news/new-york-city-real-estate-is-undervalued-for-the-first-time-in-decades-but-theres-a-catch/

>>23828633

I agree.

[New stuff that works.]

CATL Naxtra: Sodium-Ion Batteries Take Center Stage

Overview of CATL’s Sodium-Ion Innovation

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), a global leader in battery technology, has made significant strides in sodium-ion batteries. In 2025, CATL unveiled the Naxtra Sodium-ion Battery platform, officially bringing lithium-free energy storage solutions into mass production. The advancements promise groundbreaking applications in Electric Vehicles (EVs) and heavy-duty transportation.

Key Features of CATL Naxtra Sodium-Ion Batteries

CATL’s sodium-ion batteries leverage cutting-edge technology. They provide performance levels comparable to today’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, with notable advantages in safety, cold-weather reliability, and sustainability.

Energy Density and Cycle Life

The Naxtra platform boasts an energy density of 175 Wh/kg, approaching the 185 Wh/kg achieved by LFP batteries. Combined with a cycle life surpassing 10,000 charge-discharge cycles, these batteries are built to last. For heavy-use vehicles such as commercial trucks, this durability provides significant long-term benefits.

Enhanced Charging Speed

A standout attribute of CATL’s Naxtra batteries is their 5C superfast charging capability. Under optimal conditions, they can add up to 520 kilometers of driving range in just five minutes. This rapid charging feature resolves one of EV owners’ key pain points: reducing downtime during charging.

Exceptional Temperature Resilience

Cold-weather performance represents a significant leap forward. Naxtra batteries operate reliably from -40°C to +70°C. Even at extreme temperatures, they maintain functionality:

At -30°C, they charge from 30% to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes while retaining 93% of usable battery capacity.

At -40°C, they provide sufficient power for highway-level speeds, even at a 0% state of charge.

This reliability makes sodium-ion batteries ideal for regions with severe winters.

Safety Standards

Under rigorous abuse tests, such as needle penetration and compression, CATL’s sodium-ion cells showed no risk of fire or explosion. This enhanced safety profile boosts consumer confidence and ensures suitability for both personal and commercial vehicles.

Sustainability and Cost Efficiency

Sodium-ion technology achieves sustainability by replacing scarce, expensive elements like lithium, cobalt, and nickel with sodium. Sodium’s abundance and lower cost enable more environmentally friendly energy solutions. Gao Huan, CATL’s Chief Technology Officer for sodium-ion, emphasized this transformative shift, which reduces reliance on mineral-intensive supply chains.

https://sodiumbatteryhub.com/2025/05/05/catl-naxtra-sodium-ion-batteries/

>>23828692

Lithium batteries should be banned. They are dangerous. And, the government should not mandate what consumers buy. Old electric cars will just start to leave the marketplace. No resale value anyway because of the lithium batteries. The "problem" will cure itself with a little time.

[See. Problems solve themselves. These windmills are just falling apart on their own.]

100-foot wind turbine blade flies off, lands in Plymouth cranberry bog

Nov 7 2025

A blade from a 300-foot-tall wind turbine located in Plymouth detached, flew off and landed in a cranberry bog on Friday afternoon.

The incident happened at around 1:52 p.m. on Friday, in the area of 810 Head of the Bay Road in Plymouth, according to the Plymouth Fire Department.

A “concerned neighbor” called the fire department to report one of the three 75- to 100-foot-long blades from a nearby wind turbine was “suddenly missing,” the department said.

The massive detached blade was found by firefighters several hundred feet away from the base of the turbine, resting in an open cranberry bog area, according to the department.

There were no injuries reported from the incident and there is no ongoing danger to the public, the fire department said.

No homes or occupied buildings were nearby where the blade fell, as the area is remote and surrounded by cranberry bogs. Firefighters confirmed there were “no additional hazards” present at the scene.

The maintenance company that is responsible for the wind turbine responded to the scene and is inspecting to determine the cause of the failure. The company stated the turbine automatically entered a fail-safe mode and shut down immediately after the blade detached, the fire department said.

The maintenance company has sectioned off the area where the blade fell and is arranging for contractors to remove it and clean the scene, the fire department said. Fire crews have since left the scene as of Friday evening as the contractor continues its cleanup and incident review.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Town of Plymouth’s Inspectional Services Department have been notified of the incident, the fire department said.

“We were fortunate that this turbine is located out in the middle of the cranberry bogs and not in a residential area,” said Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the turbine automatically shut itself down as designed. As we continue to investigate, MassDEP and Inspectional Services will now do their due diligence to ensure this incident is addressed appropriately and the impacted area is cleaned up safely,” Foley said.

https://www.masslive.com/news/2025/11/100-foot-wind-turbine-blade-flies-off-lands-in-plymouth-cranberry-bog.html

>>23828807

Thank you for posting this. I've been posting this on and off. I remember seeing that b/w video here way back. If we had that video in the archive, we should have taken a look for it.