Last month, the city’s Office Adaptive Reuse Task Force released a report detailing its recommendations for how the city can convert existing office spaces into affordable housing.

As part of its findings, it recommended the city expand the range of buildings eligible for the most flexible conversion regulations, make existing conversion regulations work better and provide financial incentives for affordable housing and child care facilities.

The City Council Land Use Committee is scheduled to hold an oversight hearing Tuesday to review the proposal, which Mayor Eric Adams and his administration say can create around 20,000 new homes.

The chair of the committee, City Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, joined Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” Monday night to discuss how the city can convert office buildings to residential buildings.

“We really need to think out of the box as to how we can find different alternatives so that we can put individuals under a roof,” Salamanca said.

Salamanca, who represents a portion of South Bronx, including the neighborhoods of Concourse Village, Hunts Point and Melrose, thinks his community could specifically benefit from converting offices to homes.

“I have areas that, since the pandemic, the workforce has been working virtually or hybrid,” Salamanca said. “So many of these offices are left vacant. We should take an opportunity to look at where these commercial spaces are available, not just in Manhattan, but throughout all five boroughs.”