Maspeth/Woodside R7X Inclusionary Housing Text Amendments
Paving the way for more affordable housing in Queens, the City Council approved the Department’s text amendments that establish the borough's first Inclusionary Housing Program on Queens Boulevard in Woodside.  The action responds to concerns about the availability of affordable housing which were raised by the community and its representatives during the public review process for the Maspeth/Woodside Rezoning.

Applicability
The Inclusionary Housing program is applicable in the R7X District mapped on Queens Boulevard between 50th Street and 57th Street, and in the R7X District mapped on the north side of Queens Boulevard between 64th Street and 73rd Street and on the south side of Queens Boulevard between 61st Street and 73rd Street.

Inclusionary Housing Program Provisions
Within the specified R7X districts on Queens Boulevard, developments that provide affordable housing pursuant to the Inclusionary Housing Program are permitted a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of up to 5.0.  Developments not participating in the program are allowed a maximum FAR of 3.75.

Developments can qualify for the maximum FAR of 5.0 by providing 20 percent of residential floor area for households with incomes at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI).  (View more information about the Inclusionary Housing provisions.) Affordable units would be developed and administered pursuant to a Lower Income Housing plan with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and would remain affordable in perpetuity.  In the R7X districts where the Inclusionary Housing program is available on Queens Boulevard, a developer may earn the floor area bonus by setting aside a portion of the units within the new building at below-market rates, or by providing new or rehabilitated affordable units off-site.  The off-site units could be located within Community District 2 or within a one-half mile radius of the development site in an adjacent community district.

For more information on the Inclusionary Housing text amendments, read the CPC Report, or contact the Queens Office of the Department of City Planning at 718-286-3170.

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