Press Releases

For Immediate Release
January 19, 2024

Contacts:
Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

NEW YORK – Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today announced that DCP will hold monthly public information sessions on components of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, highlighting how they will benefit New Yorkers and address the city’s housing crisis. Held once a month from January to April via Zoom, the info sessions will offer the public opportunities to learn and ask questions about the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP), diverse housing types (ADUs, conversions, and shared and small homes), “Missing Middle” housing types, and the proposal as a whole, respectively.

• Tuesday, January 30: The Universal Affordability Preference – register here
• Tuesday, February 27: Diverse Housing Types (ADUs, Conversions, & Shared/Small Homes) – register here
• Wednesday, March 27: “Missing Middle” Housing Types (transit-oriented development and “town center” zoning) – register here
• Wednesday, April 17: Overview of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Proposal – register here

Each of the info sessions will take place from 6:30-8:30 PM.

In September, Mayor Adams unveiled the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative, which will address New York’s housing crisis by building a little more housing in every neighborhood. It is currently undergoing environmental review, and will be referred for public review by borough presidents and community boards later this spring; it is anticipated to reach the City Planning Commission and City Council for a vote in the fall.

The proposal includes support for homeowners by legalizing accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”); allowing three-to-five-story apartment buildings near transit (“transit-oriented development”) and on commercial corridors (“Town Center zoning”) in low-density districts; granting a roughly 20% increase in allowed housing so long as the additional housing is affordable (UAP); lifting onerous and expensive parking mandates for new housing; facilitating office-to-residential conversions; granting campuses greater flexibility to build housing; supporting shared housing models and smaller units; and more.

Together, these proposals could add an estimated 100,000 homes to expected housing production over the next 15 years, create nearly 260,000 temporary jobs and an additional 6,300 permanent jobs, and provide $58.2 billion in economic impact to the city over the next 30 years. These zoning changes build on the Adams administration’s investment in income-restricted affordable housing, including financing a record-breaking 14,227 new homes in 2023. The administration has also advanced a number of other creative solutions, including an office conversation accelerator, new proposed rules to streamline approvals for sustainable housing, a Housing-at-Risk Taskforce, and pilots to help fund accessory dwelling units and mixed income housing development, among other visionary efforts.

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the third of three City of Yes initiatives to update New York City’s zoning for a more sustainable, prosperous, and affordable city. The first, for Carbon Neutrality, was adopted by the City Council in December. The second, for Economic Opportunity, is currently being considered by community boards and borough presidents, and will come before the City Planning Commission for a hearing and vote later this winter.

---

Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.