Mayor Mamdani Highlights Housing Production Agenda in Block by Block as Support for Plan Grows

 

Plan charts path to build 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade 

 

Public Advocate Williams, four Borough Presidents, labor leaders and housing groups back the plan   

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame highlighted key elements of the administration’s historic housing plan, Block by Block, focused on building the new housing New Yorkers urgently need.

The plan charts a path to create 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade, including through direct investment in affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers, innovative financing tools and process reforms to help public dollars go further. It also advances an ambitious land-use agenda to create more housing of all kinds across New York City.

Block by Block is paired with a nearly $5 billion investment over the next two years for new rent-stabilized affordable housing, including dedicated commitments to affordable senior housing and supportive housing.

Support for the plan has continued to grow since its release, including endorsements from New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, four Borough Presidents, labor leaders, housing organizations and tenant advocates.

“New Yorkers deserve a housing plan that meets this crisis with ambition, scale and urgency it demands. If we want New York City to remain a place where working people can afford to live and build a future, we have to build far more housing and give New Yorkers housing options of all types, across the entire city. Block by Block is an all-of-the-above strategy to deliver the homes New Yorkers need , including 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“We cannot become a more affordable city without building a lot more housing and ensuring that every neighborhood is a part of that growth. With a historic investment in affordable housing and an ambitious land use agenda including new tools supported by voters, we can turn the tide on our housing challenges and ensure that New Yorkers have the options they need, whether they are looking to grow their family, age in place or move closer to family,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.

“Every day, rents rise and our neighbors are pushed out of this city—simply because there aren't enough homes. Fixing that means building more housing: we’re planning to create a record 200,000 affordable homes over the next decade, across every single neighborhood,” said Housing Commissioner Dina Levy. “Block by Block is an ambitious vision of a more affordable city, where every New Yorker has the chance to rent or own a home they can afford, in the neighborhood they want.”

“Block by Block recognizes that New York City’s housing shortage is driving its affordability crisis, and that meeting this moment requires ambitious land use action,” said Sideya Sherman, Director of the Department of City Planning. “By advancing neighborhood plans that mandate affordability, using new voter-approved tools like the Affordable Housing Fast Track, and unlocking more homes near transit across the city, we will give New Yorkers more housing options of all types and create a fairer, more affordable city for people to live in.”

Through Block by Block, the Mamdani administration is advancing an ambitious land-use agenda, that includes a citywide transit-oriented development proposal to meaningfully increase housing near public transit, giving New Yorkers greater access to all the city has to offer.

The plan also incorporates new land-use tools approved by voters in November that are speeding up the development of affordable housing and ensuring every neighborhood contributes to the city’s housing growth. In addition, the Mamdani administration will create New York City’s first revolving loan fund to help affordable housing financing go further and unlock private investment.

The administration is also continuing implementation of Executive Orders 4 and 5, signed on the Mayor’s first day in office, to accelerate housing development and expand affordable housing on City-owned land.

Through reforms proposed by the Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development (SPEED) Task Force – including SEQRA reform in the newly-approved state budget – the City will cut eight months from the development timeline for all affordable housing projects and as much as two years  for projects requiring rezonings.

The plan also outlines strategies to maximize the use of City-owned land for both 100% affordable and mixed-income housing, including housing co-located with public facilities such as libraries and schools.