Expediting New Affordable Housing

In November 2025, New York City voters adopted streamlined public review processes to meet the city's urgent affordable housing needs and recently updated Where We Live NYC 2025 fair housing goals. Our historically low 1.4% rental vacancy rate (2023 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey) demands the creation of new housing opportunities to provide New Yorkers relief from growing housing costs and greater choice in finding a home that best suits their needs.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all public review process for both small and large proposals, the new Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP) and the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) Fast-track Action for Affordable Housing Projects (New York City Charter §666-a) shorten an otherwise roughly 7-month process. Additionally, the Affordable Housing Fast Track (AHFT) will facilitate new affordable housing across more neighborhoods and allow us to meet housing production targets set through the Fair Housing Framework (§16-a).

Engaging New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength continues to be a core tenet of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)'s mission to promote quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city's neighborhoods. These new processes also continue to incorporate local perspectives with the same period for advisory review by Community Boards that exists under the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) while better meeting citywide needs.

Expedited Land Use Review Procedure subject to City Council approval (ELURP-CC) for affordable housing projects on public land (§197-e(k))

The City Council can now review acquisitions, leases, and sales of publicly owned land for affordable housing through a more efficient process. Previously, these sites would have been subject to the same full process needed for rezoning despite identical projects on private land not requiring any discretionary review. Because these projects will no longer file with the Department of City Planning (DCP), nor involve the City Planning Commission (CPC), ELURP-CC will save substantial time and City staff resources, allowing projects to break ground sooner and house New Yorkers faster.

This new process will begin with a combined 60-day Community Board and Borough President advisory review followed by a 30-day City Council review.

For more information, please see §197-e. Expedited Land Use Review Procedure.

BSA Fast-track Action for Affordable Housing Projects (§666-a)

Affordable housing projects supported and regulated by HPD on land zoned for residential use can now seek a waiver for bulk (dimensional), use, or parking requirements from the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). Projects on land not zoned for residential use can continue to apply for a variance under existing requirements. §666-a will save substantial time and costs spent on ULURP, allowing homes to be delivered faster while stretching taxpayer subsidy further.

Under this new process, affordable housing developers will file their applications with the BSA and follow its procedures. Projects must complete HPD's intake process, demonstrate consistency with our design and development standards, and be determined by the BSA to not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. Like other processes before the BSA, there will be a 60-day review period by the Community Board and Borough President before the BSA holds a hearing and makes its decision.

For more information, please see §666-a. Fast-track action for affordable housing projects.

Affordable Housing Fast Track (AHFT) for fair housing (§197-f)

Starting January 1, 2027, affordable housing projects in the 12 community districts with the lowest rates of affordable housing development can benefit from a shortened process similar to ELURP-CPC (see below). This will facilitate affordable housing opportunities in more neighborhoods and help meet both citywide and community district-level production targets that will be released later in 2026 in accordance with the Fair Housing Framework (§16-a. Fair housing plan and housing reports).

The City Planning Commission (CPC) has proposed methodology to establish the list of community districts by October 1, 2026. This is also the date by which HPD is required to publish the first Fair Housing Framework Needs Assessment and five-year production targets.

Under this new process, eligible applications will first have a combined 60-day Community Board and Borough President advisory review and then proceed to CPC review. For projects requiring more extensive environmental review, the 30-day CPC review period will be extended to 45 days. Projects will subsequently follow existing processes for building affordable housing in a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) zone.

For more information, please see §197-f. Affordable housing fast track.

Expedited Land Use Review Procedure subject to City Planning Commission approval (ELURP-CPC) for modest increases in density (§197-e(b)(2))

Among other eligible categories, modest changes to zoning (e.g. increasing allowable floor area in a medium-density district by no more than 30%) can now benefit from a shortened process ending with City Planning Commission (CPC) review.

Under this new process, eligible applications will first have a combined 60-day Community Board and Borough President advisory review and then proceed to a 30-day CPC review.

For more information including other criteria for ELURP-CPC, please see §197-e. Expedited Land Use Review Procedure.

Get in touch

For any questions about these new approval pathways, please contact us.

We will soon be hosting an information session for the affordable housing community and the public to learn more about using these new tools. Details on how sign up will be added here soon.