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The biggest message New York City voters sent on election night was not their choice of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, who got a little more than 50% of the vote.

City voters gave larger margins of approval to a trio of housing-related initiatives meant to set off a building boom to generate more affordable housing and leave a mark that should last much longer than Mamdani’s four-year term.

Taking cues from Austin, Texas, residents voted to sidestep their own city council and zoning boards to fast-track the construction of affordable housing, simplify zoning review and create an appeals board to give rejected building projects a second chance.

New York’s housing crisis is extreme and unique, but it is also part of a broader problem across the country. Many voters of all stripes do not feel they can afford to live. Supporters hope the new system will help nonprofit developers get past red tape and set off a building boom that still respects the character of neighborhoods. Finding that balance is going to be a massive challenge.

I spoke by phone with Amit Singh Bagga, who is principal of Public Progress Solutions, a campaign strategy and public affairs firm, and who was campaign director for the “Yes on Affordable Housing” campaign to learn more about New York’s housing crisis and how the passage of these three amendments should be viewed by the rest of the country.