Play "Inside the rent", and become a virtual developer in NYC

2015-06-09T13:24:00-04:00

Different policy debates come into play throughout the game and the player is tasked with making choices that will affect the final rent – for instance build in high-cost neighborhoods, pay workers prevailing wages, expend public money to subsidize the building, or to give in and accept higher rents than desired.

The rent is too damn high, but so are a lot of other development costs. In this simulation game by NYC's Citizens Housing Planning Council, players go through the steps of planning a NYC rental in the current economic climate – complete with housing shortage and gentrifying neighborhoods.

After choosing a site, players must set targets for rent, construction wages, amenities, building size – and as they outfit their property, they see costs go up, and whether their target rent will actually yield a profit. Or (gasp!) whether they'll need to apply for government subsidies. According to the CHPC, the figures used in the game "are based on interviews with developers, appraisers, architects and underwriters, and are current as of 2015."

Play Inside the rent here, and see if you can fix the housing crisis. My $4,000 / mo 2BR in a new Harlem mid-size only exists thanks to government subsidies and minimum construction wages. If you're interested in other real estate development-based games, ...

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Play "Inside the rent", and become a virtual developer in NYC