New York City Council Passes Historic Citywide Zoning Reforms Estimated to Create over 82,000 New Homes, Tackling Affordability Crisis throughout City

 

Council modifications address affordability and neighborhood differences; agreement will invest $5 billion in City for All housing plan

Council also voted on bills to establish basement apartments and ADUs in city codes, support building rehabilitation, track approved housing projects, and update flood maps and sewer plans

Today, the New York City Council passed a historic citywide zoning reform that is estimated to create over 82,000 new homes throughout the five boroughs. Together with an agreement to invest $5 billion in the Council’s City for All housing plan to support affordable housing, homeownership, and neighborhood infrastructure improvements, the Council-modified zoning changes represent one of the most significant advancements of housing solutions in New York City history. It is another major step by the Council to address the city’s housing and affordability crisis, building on Speaker Adrienne Adams’ Fair Housing Framework Act and the recently passed FARE Act to reform broker fees.

The Council also passed legislation to provide complementary legal frameworks to the zoning reforms for ADUs and basement apartments, as well as to better track approved affordable housing developments, provide tax abatements for the maintenance and preservation of affordable housing buildings, update flood maps and sewer maintenance plans, and support older adults aging in place.

“Today, the Council made historic strides to create more homes and make our city more affordable by approving the modified Zoning for Housing Opportunity text amendment with $5 billion of major investments in our City for All housing plan,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “By taking a major step to address the housing shortage, while supporting existing homeowners and tenants, making housing more affordable, expanding homeownership opportunities, and strengthening the infrastructure of neighborhoods, we are advancing a safer and stronger city. This shows that our city can ensure every area helps contribute to confronting the housing crisis by creating more housing, while respecting the differences of neighborhoods across the five boroughs and investing in New Yorkers.”

Building More Homes, Investing in Affordability and Neighborhoods

City of Yes: Zoning for Housing Opportunity – A citywide zoning text amendment, initiated by the Department of City Planning and modified by the Council, to change residential height, density, parking requirements, affordability, urban design, and other aspects within city zoning regulations. It is the first citywide zoning text amendment designed to increase housing production across all neighborhoods and is estimated to create over 82,000 housing units over 15 years.

In response to robust community engagement, the Council modified the proposal in three primary ways: to make new housing development more contextual with existing neighborhoods, particularly for blocks of small homes; to increase the amount of affordable housing that will be created and make sure it reaches New Yorkers with lower incomes; and to protect existing tenants and homeowners.

Council modifications precisely tailored certain proposals to reflect a neighborhoods’ public transit, flood risks, and existing homes, while preserving all key elements in the initial text amendment and the core fair housing principle that every neighborhood contribute to housing production. A key modification by the Council includes establishing affordable housing incentives in low-density areas that make inclusionary zoning citywide for the first time in New York City, ensuring the creation of affordable housing is possible in every part of the city. The Council also advanced modifications to establish greater affordable housing levels for existing and new zoning incentive programs, so they reach New Yorkers with incomes at or below 40% of area median income (approximately $43,000 for an individual and $62,000 for a family of four).

The modifications are detailed here.

In addition to the zoning changes, the Council secured $5 billion in City and State funding commitments for its City for All housing plan. The funding will support affordable housing, NYCHA, Mitchel-Lamas, affordable homeownership, sewer, street and open space infrastructure improvements, tenant protections, city housing agencies, and new neighborhood planning efforts to create more housing in future years.

Establishing Basement and Ancillary Dwelling Unit Legalization

Introduction 1127-A, would establish a basement and cellar dwelling unit legalization program in certain community districts. The Department of Buildings would inspect such units prior to issuing an authorization and, if issued, the building owner would be permitted to do any necessary construction on the unit to legalize the unit and apply for an amended or partial certificate of occupancy. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development would be required to provide technical assistance and outreach to owners of eligible basement or cellar residences.

Introduction 1128-A, would set forth eligibility and design requirements for ancillary dwelling units (ADUs) in one- or two-family dwellings, including utility systems and fire prevention requirements. This bill would prohibit basement and cellar ADUs in coastal and inland flood hazard areas, to mirror such prohibitions in the New York City Zoning Resolution. In localities where ADUs are legalized, homeowners have used them in variety of ways including supplementing their income, downsizing while renting out the primary residence, and sustaining multigenerational living.

Renewing the J-51 Tax Abatement Program

Introduction 654-A, would implement a renewed version of the J-51 program for rehabilitation and renovation projects of certain multiple dwelling buildings. Following the expiration of J-51 in June 2022, the State Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, legislation authorizing the City to enact a new, altered version of the J-51 program. Eligible buildings would include: condos and coops where the average assessed valuation is under $45,000 per unit, and rental buildings where more than half the units are affordable, they are operated by limited-profit housing companies, or they receive substantial governmental assistance. Owners of these buildings could recover up to 70% of the cost of work to rehabilitate these buildings in the form of tax abatements for up to 20 years. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development would establish a certified reasonable cost schedule to identify the work and costs that qualify for this program and will report annually on its implementation and enforcement.

Improving Transparency of Affordable Housing Project Status

Introduction 850, would require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to submit biannual reports to the Council regarding city-financed affordable housing development projects involving the disposition of city property. The reports would include the date the developer was selected by HPD, the date the project received ULURP approval, the 6-month cycle during which the disposition is expected to occur, and the actual closing date for projects that have already closed. 

Updating Flood Maps and Sewage Flooding Plans

Introduction 814-A, would require that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) update the sewer backup prevention plan by 2025 and conduct regular updates thereafter. DEP regularly conducts field investigations in response to complaints of sewer backups, but the outcome of those investigations is not always shared. Therefore, the bill would also require DEP to provide timely notice to residents and complainants when it determines that certain sewer backups have occurred.

Introduction 815-A, would require DEP, in consultation with DOB and the Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, to create and regularly update an interim flood risk map identifying areas at risk of flooding due to 10-year rainfall events and sea level rise (as projected for the year 2050), as well as coastal flood areas with a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year (including the impacts of sea level rise as projected for the year 2080).   

Supporting Older Adults with Aging in Place

Introduction 1022-A, would require the Commissioner of the Department for the Aging to conduct a three-year study on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) and Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (N-NORCs) in New York City. The study would identify potential NORCs and N-NORCs, assess the needs of older adults, evaluate necessary improvements, and collect data on demographic trends and health outcomes. Within two years of completing the study, the Commissioner would be required to develop and implement a plan to support aging in place within these communities.

Introduction 1054-A, would require the Commissioner of the Department for the Aging to submit a 10-year Aging in Place Plan that would focus on assisting older adults with aging in place throughout New York City, and would include proposed projects and recommendations.

Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams and Council Speaker Adams Celebrate Passage of Most Pro-Housing Proposal in New York City History

New York City Council Votes in Favor of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” Creating 80,000 New Homes Over Next 15 Years, and Investing $5 Billion Towards Critical Infrastructure Updates and Housing

Includes Governor Hochul’s $1 Billion in New State Commitments To Support Affordable Housing

Complements New York State’s Historic Housing Package Secured by Governor Hochul in the FY25 Enacted Budget To Build More Homes Statewide To Address Affordability

Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and New York City Department of City Planning Director and City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick today celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing zoning proposal in New York City history. As the city confronts a generational housing crisis with a 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate, the citywide rezoning will enable the creation of 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years and invest $5 billion, which includes $1 billion in state funding, towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. The City of Yes proposal alone exceeds all the housing created from rezonings during any mayoral administration of the last 50 years, including all of the 12 years of the Bloomberg administration and all eight years of the de Blasio administration.

“Our only shot at solving New York’s affordability crisis is by building more housing — and that’s why I’m committing $1 billion for projects that will make ‘City of Yes’ a reality,” Governor Hochul said. “I signed the most powerful pro-housing legislation in three generations earlier this year, but the work is far from over. That’s why it’s critical for New York City to move forward with zoning reforms that will create more of the homes New Yorkers so desperately need.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Today is a historic day in New York City, but, more importantly, for working-class New Yorkers. We showed the nation that government can still be bold and brave by passing the most pro-housing piece of legislation in city history. Our administration proposed and fought hard for this proposal for more than a year, and now New Yorkers are the ones who will benefit from lower rent. I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to come together and collaborate on this landmark legislation, especially City Council Speaker Adams and Governor Hochul, the City Hall and agency teams that kept this plan moving forward no matter what, the advocates who knew we had to get this done, and everyday New Yorkers who made their voices heard. A home is more than just four walls and a roof. It’s the key to unlocking the American Dream, a path towards stability, and an opportunity that’s been out of grasp for too many for too long. City of Yes will forever change the course of our city’s history by bringing that dream closer to reality for New Yorkers — and it all started by saying ‘yes.’”

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said, “Today, the Council made historic strides to create more homes and make our city more affordable by approving the modified Zoning for Housing Opportunity text amendment with $5 billion of major investments in our City for All housing plan. By taking a major step to address the housing shortage, while supporting existing homeowners and tenants, making housing more affordable, expanding homeownership opportunities, and strengthening the infrastructure of neighborhoods, we are advancing a safer and stronger city. This shows that our city can ensure every area helps contribute to confronting the housing crisis by creating more housing, while respecting the differences of neighborhoods across the five boroughs and investing in New Yorkers.”

Highlights of the historic City of Yes agreement include:

• Creating the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP), allowing roughly 20 percent more housing in medium- and high-density developments, as long as the additional homes are permanently affordable. If UAP had been in place since 2014, an additional 20,000 income-restricted homes could have been created.
• Legalizing small accessory dwelling units (ADU) for one- and two-family homes, with some restrictions in limited areas to address concerns around flooding and neighborhood context. These small homes, which include backyard cottages and converted garages, can give homeowners extra income and allow families to age in place.
• Permitting transit-oriented development and Town Center zoning, to create three-, four-, and five-story apartment buildings near most transit and along commercial corridors, respectively, with an affordability incentive for projects with more than roughly 50 homes.
• Allowing height-limited, contextual development on large campuses or lots, including those owned by faith-based organizations, that previously could not use their existing development rights because of outdated and conflicting rules.
• Rolling back parking mandates for new residential construction through a three-zone system that lifts them entirely in Zone 1, reduces them in Zone 2, and keeps them in place in Zone 3. Zone 1 will be the most populous parking mandate-free area in the U.S. — nearly triple the population of Austin, the largest U.S. city to lift parking mandates.
• Enacting new high-density zoning districts that would allow more housing, including mandatory affordable housing in high-demand central areas where it is urgently needed.
• Re-legalizing small and shared housing models with common facilities like kitchens.
• Making it easier to convert offices and other non-residential buildings into housing.

The passage of City of Yes complements several significant milestones that are a part of Governor Hochul’s historic housing agenda. Most recently, Governor Hochul and First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer celebrated the creation of more than 70,000 housing options under the 421-a program by extending the construction completion deadline, which was made possible by Governor Hochul as part of the FY25 Enacted Budget. The FY25 Enacted Budget also included numerous bold initiatives to address New York’s housing crisis by increasing the housing supply, promoting affordability, strengthening protections for New York renters and homeowners, and combating bias and discrimination in housing.

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity invests $5 billion towards the city’s housing and critical infrastructure updates. Mayor Adams is committing $1 billion for housing capital. He is also investing $2 billion in infrastructure projects — to be reflected in upcoming financial plans — that will support investments in sewer and flood infrastructure, street improvements and open space. Finally, Mayor Adams will spend $1 billion in expense funding over 10 years in tenant protection, voucher assistance and combatting source-of-income discrimination, flood monitoring and neighborhood planning. Additionally, thanks to her strong leadership and shared commitment to building housing, Governor Hochul is committing another $1 billion to housing capital over the next five years, subject to State Budget approval.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE’S RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE OF ‘CITY OF YES’

 

After the New York City Council passed the ‘City of Yes’ housing proposal today, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement:

“The housing and homelessness crisis impacts New Yorkers across our city, and every community must be a part of combatting it. With today’s vote and the months of negotiations that preceded it, the City Council has taken a significant step forward to increase housing production, and should be applauded. At the same time, we cannot simply build our way out of the affordability crisis. Today’s plan, and the City for All investments paired with it, must be part of an overall strategy that includes preservation, voucher expansion, tenant protections, and more. I look forward to working with partners in government and advocacy to ensure that deeply affordable, truly accessible housing is the priority as the City of Yes is realized.”

 

How Can New York Be a City of ‘Yes, And?

by Jumaane D. Williams, Public Advocate for the City of New York

On Thursday, the City Council is set to vote on “City of Yes”—a plan to increase housing production, put forward by the mayor and adjusted to be significantly more feasible to pass through the work of City Council in recent weeks. Despite some worrisome cracks and carve-outs, the Council will approve the proposal, and be applauded for it.

And then what? While revised zoning enables new structures, what other structures can we put in place to ensure that rising developments aren’t accompanied by still-rising rents? How can we be a City of ‘Yes, And?’

First, we hold developers of new units to strict affordability standards—not lax guidelines that are easily circumvented, such as those set forth at the state level under decades of 421-a. Government can and must invest more in and subsidize affordability, but that does not constitute a blank check for no return.

At the same time, as I’ve always argued, we can’t build our way out of this crisis, both because only a minority of new units will meet affordability standards, and because even 80,000 to 100,000 apartments will not increase housing stock at the levels needed, and certainly not on the urgent timeline this ongoing emergency demands. Preservation, not merely construction, is an essential part of any serious housing strategy.

Fortunately, while our reported vacancy rate is alarmingly low, there are units across the city excluded from the count that need to be included in our housing strategy. Property owners have spent years warehousing apartments. They have decided these units are worth more to them vacant than occupied, and tenants everywhere are paying the price. In many cases, these “zombie apartments” become dilapidated and harm residents of entire buildings and blocks. Any owner truly struggling with costs should be connected to the many supportive programs available, and hopefully some new ones, not pass costs to struggling renters or leave rooms vacant when space is scarce. 

When I was in the City Council, I passed a “Housing, Not Warehousing” bill to require a canvassing of the city for vacant properties which could be utilized for housing production. The Adams administration has instructed agencies to perform similar work in the past with city-owned spaces. But private owners are taking advantage of a lack of oversight and enforcement, and we need both an accurate count and actionable steps to bring these units back online. A significant investment must be made in HPD’s inspection and correction of these spaces. Advocates suggest about 80,000 apartments may currently be warehoused, and making them available would essentially double the promise behind City of Yes. In addition to revitalizing long-vacant spaces, under-used office buildings should continue to be prioritized for conversion. 

The need for preservation also extends to maintaining what are intended as the most deeply affordable units in our city, NYCHA’s public housing. Fulfilling the promise of NYCHA requires deep investment in capital upgrades to existing buildings, as well as the development of additional units—potentially through land trusts, RAD-PACT partnerships and in authentic partnership with residents. NYCHA residents have seen their living spaces and their trust in city management decline for decades. While the worst private landlords take housing off the market and make rents unaffordable, too often poor conditions in public housing make units unlivable.

No amount of new units will address the housing crisis if New Yorkers simply cannot afford to move into them. This administration wants to trumpet the Council’s pending passage of “City of Yes” as a win, but refuses to implement housing voucher expansion passed by the Council years ago. They are actively preventing the most immediate means of getting New Yorkers into permanent homes, while supporting record rent increases on regulated units. If the mayor is committed to housing reforms, even only for political gain, he can at the very least stop ignoring the city’s housing laws for political purposes. 

Particularly in areas where new large-scale developments may not be best, we should expand efforts to prevent and enforce against unscrupulous deed theft—families who have held homes for generations cannot be displaced.

Finally, while affordability percentages were increased in the final package, the city’s income-targeted mandates remain flawed at their foundations. This is a federal failure—as I have written in the past, Annual Median Income is calculated using far too wide a map—including suburban counties to set so-called “affordable” housing rates that are completely out of reach for the New Yorkers most in need of homes. A federal re-calculation of AMI, centered on our city, is vital for a long-term strategy that recognizes the reality in our streets, not the hypothetical on a spreadsheet.

No measure, no singular vote, will solve the housing crisis that has been building for decades. Addressing housing insecurity, affordability, and homelessness requires not just new construction, but a deconstruction of the root causes and foundational solutions. Only then can we build up our city in a way that lifts up New Yorkers and keeps them in their homes.

MAYOR ADAMS, GOVERNOR HOCHUL, AND SPEAKER ADAMS CELEBRATES PASSAGE OF MOST PRO-HOUSING PROPOSAL IN NEW YORK CITY HISTORY

 

New York City Council Votes in Favor of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,”

Creating 80,000 New Homes Over Next 15 Years, and Investing $5 Billion Towards Critical Infrastructure Updates and Housing 

WATCH: Mayor Adams Celebrate Historic Housing Milestone For New York City  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing zoning proposal in New York City history. As the city confronts a generational housing crisis with a 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate, the citywide rezoning will enable the creation of 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. The City of Yes proposal alone exceeds all the housing created from rezonings during any mayoral administration of the last 50 years, including all of the 12 years of the Bloomberg administration and all eight years of the de Blasio administration.  

  

“Today is a historic day in New York City, but, more importantly, for working-class New Yorkers. We showed the nation that government can still be bold and brave by passing the most pro-housing piece of legislation in city history. Our administration proposed and fought hard for this proposal for more than year, and now New Yorkers are the ones who will benefit from lower rent,” said Mayor Adams. “I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to come together and collaborate on this landmark legislation, especially City Council Speaker Adams and Governor Hochul, the City Hall and agency teams that kept this plan moving forward no matter what, the advocates who knew we had to get this done, and everyday New Yorkers who made their voices heard. A home is more than just four walls and a roof. It’s the key to unlocking the American Dream, a path towards stability, and an opportunity that’s been out of grasp for too many for too long. City of Yes will forever change the course of our city’s history by bringing that dream closer to reality for New Yorkers — and it all started by saying ‘yes.’”  

“Our only shot at solving New York’s affordability crisis is by building more housing — and that’s why I’m committing $1 billion for projects that will make ‘City of Yes’ a reality,” said Governor Hochul. “I signed the most powerful pro-housing legislation in three generations earlier this year, but the work is far from over. That’s why it’s critical for New York City to move forward with zoning reforms that will create more of the homes New Yorkers so desperately need.” 

“Today, the Council made historic strides to create more homes and make our city more affordable by approving the modified Zoning for Housing Opportunity text amendment with $5 billion of major investments in our City for All housing plan,” said Speaker Adams. “By taking a major step to address the housing shortage, while supporting existing homeowners and tenants, making housing more affordable, expanding homeownership opportunities, and strengthening the infrastructure of neighborhoods, we are advancing a safer and stronger city. This shows that our city can ensure every area helps contribute to confronting the housing crisis by creating more housing, while respecting the differences of neighborhoods across the five boroughs and investing in New Yorkers.”

  

“In the face of our long-standing housing crisis, the greatest city in the world has just passed the most pro-housing legislation in our history. ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ marks the start of a new era of affordability and access for everyday New Yorkers,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “Thank you to Mayor Eric Adams, Speaker Adrienne Adams, Governor Kathy Hochul, and the diverse and tireless coalition of community advocates, faith leaders, labor leaders, and public servants who brought ‘City of Yes’ to fruition.”

 

“New York City’s housing crisis has persisted for so long that many assume high rents, scarce housing, and landlords holding all the cards are just a fact of life. But these outcomes are the result of policy choices, and today, we are officially choosing a new path. These critical changes in our zoning rules will help tackle our housing shortage and create the homes New Yorkers need, all while avoiding significant changes in any one area,” said CPC Chair and DCP Director Dan Garodnick. “Thank you to the City Council, labor, faith leaders, advocates, and everyday New Yorkers for supporting this initiative to build a more affordable future, with housing opportunity in every neighborhood.” 

  

Highlights of the historic City of Yes agreement include: 

  

• Creating the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP), allowing roughly 20 percent more housing in medium- and high-density developments, as long as the additional homes are permanently affordable. If UAP had been in place since 2014, an additional 20,000 income-restricted homes could have been created.  

• Legalizing small accessory dwelling units (ADU) for one- and two-family homes, with some restrictions in limited areas to address concerns around flooding and neighborhood context. These small homes, which include backyard cottages and converted garages, can give homeowners extra income and allow families to age in place.  

• Permitting transit-oriented development and Town Center zoning, to create three-, four-, and five-story apartment buildings near most transit and along commercial corridors, respectively, with an affordability incentive for projects with more than roughly 50 homes. 

• Allowing height-limited, contextual development on large campuses or lots, including those owned by faith-based organizations, that previously could not use their existing development rights because of outdated and conflicting rules.  

• Rolling back parking mandates for new residential construction through a three-zone system that lifts them entirely in Zone 1, reduces them in Zone 2, and keeps them in place in Zone 3. Zone 1 will be the most populous parking mandate-free area in the U.S. — nearly triple the population of Austin, the largest U.S. city to lift parking mandates. 

• Enacting new high-density zoning districts that would allow more housing, including mandatory affordable housing in high-demand central areas where it is urgently needed.  

• Re-legalizing small and shared housing models with common facilities like kitchens.  

• Making it easier to convert offices and other non-residential buildings into housing. 

  

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity invests $5 billion towards the city’s housing and critical infrastructure updates. Mayor Adams is committing $1 billion for housing capital. He is also investing $2 billion in infrastructure projects — to be reflected in upcoming financial plans — that will support investments in sewer and flood infrastructure, street improvements, and open space. Finally, Mayor Adams will spend $1 billion in expense funding over 10 years in tenant protection, voucher assistance and combatting source-of-income discrimination, flood monitoring, and neighborhood planning. Additionally, thanks to her strong leadership and shared commitment to building housing, Governor Hochul is committing another $1 billion to housing capital over the next five years, subject to state budget approval.   

  

The passage of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity follows an extensive public review process, including over 175 Community Board meetings, 10 public information sessions, a CPC hearing in which a majority of speakers testified in favor of the proposal, and more. The proposal also received favorable recommendations from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.   

 

Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams have made historic investments toward creating affordable housing over the last three years. In June, City Hall and the City Council agreed on an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invests $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed a record $26 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. In July, Mayor Adams announced back-to-back record breaking years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. This past spring, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation.  

  

Further, the Adams administration is using every tool available to address the city’s housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create ADUs that will not only help them to afford to remain in the communities they call home, but also to build generational wealth for families.   

  

Earlier this year, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.    

  

Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city is fulfilling its 2024 State of the City commitment to build more affordable housing, including by being ahead of schedule on advancing two dozen affordable housing projects on city-owned land this year through the “24 in ‘24” initiative, reopening the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program waitlist after being closed to general applications for nearly 15 years, and creating the Tenant Protection Cabinet to coordinate across agencies to better serve tenants. The city has also taken several steps to cut red tape and speed up the delivery of much-needed housing, including through the “Green Fast Track for Housing,” a streamlined environmental review process for qualifying small- and medium-sized housing projects; the “Office Conversion Accelerator,” an interagency effort to guide buildings that wish to convert through city bureaucracy; and other initiatives of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Taskforce.