There have been slums and tenements in New York since at least the mid-19th century, when the population of the four “urban” boroughs was less than 1 million.

In some ways, though, the quality of the housing stock is better now than ever.

People in New York City have some of the best housing money can rent/buy: clean, comfortable, safe, energy-efficient, close to amenities, and environmentally friendly. That’s why it’s so expensive; it’s in very high demand. Unfortunately, NYC also has some that is less-than-optimal housing, particularly the kind that deviates from sensible land use, or destroyed neighborhood commerce.

What NYC needs is transportation and land use reform – but for all its flows, it probably needs this much less so than the rest of the USA.