While historic conservation is a valuable goal, it shouldn't come at the cost of housing accessibility. The Preservation League of NYS explains the importance of making sure historic preservation benefits all:
The League champions historic preservation as a tool to help build more just, sustainable, and resilient communities. But viewing preservation through this lens requires us to consider how to incorporate affordable housing into our work. Communities, whether they are rural or urban, are not equitable if only a certain socioeconomic class can afford to live there.
The issue of historic preservation and housing availability is complex, however, and not well-served by reducing it to the single narrative of NIMBY homeowners opposing development and driving up rents. Plenty of cities are more than willing to knock down old buildings to make room for new developments, although this can cause just as many problems as stubbornly resisting change.