Nearly 900 Affordable Homes To Be Built In Brownsville

Three-City owned sites will be developed to provide affordable housing, art and media centers, and commercial space. On July 26, 2018, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced plans for nearly 900 affordable homes in Brownsville, Brooklyn. This announcement updates the commitments made in the Brownsville Plan, which originally included building 880 units on three-City owned sites and infrastructure upgrades. According to HPD, the Plan is the result of a community-driven process to … <Read More>


City Planning Approves Green Fast Track Rule to Expedite Some Environmentally-Friendly Housing Projects

On March 20, 2024, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the Green Fast Track for Housing rule, a new rule to reduce the cost and time to approve certain modest and eco-friendly buildings by exempting them from review under the State Environmental Quality Review or City Environmental Quality Review laws. State law permits city agencies to have the authority to propose new rules that can allow certain projects to undergo a more streamlined process. 


HPD Announces Historically Low Rental Vacancy Rate

On February 8, 2024, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced the initial results of the latest New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYCHVS). The survey is the official source of the net rental vacancy rate which is used to show the ongoing need for rent control and rent stabilization. The survey is run approximately every three years and done in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau since 1965. It is the longest-running <Read More>


COMMENTARY: Creating Social Housing in the Sky

By Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and Senator Cordell Cleare

The next innovation in the pursuit of permanently affordable housing for New Yorkers can be found amongst the glistening luxury high-rise condominiums. These high-rise condominium complexes will also include the next wave of cooperatively-owned and community-controlled affordable homeownership opportunities in New York City — social housing in the sky — if our bill, the recently updated Martin Act amendment (S3566A/A6921A), becomes law.


HPD Announces Bergen Green Affordable Housing Project in Latest 24 in 24 Push

On January 31, 2024, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced that Apex Building Group and Bridge Street Development Corporation will be building 116 homes for low-income families at 516 Bergen Street in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The announcement comes in light of Mayor Adams’ push for affordable housing advancements on publicly owned land. Mayor Adam’s 24 in 24 plan is seeking to create or preserve around 12,000 units of housing <Read More>


Zoning for Housing Opportunity Amendment Aims to Address City’s Housing Shortage

Still in its early stages, Mayor Adams’ proposed zoning text amendment aims to increase affordable housing in the city. On June 1, 2022, Mayor Adams announced his “City of Yes” plan consisting of three citywide zoning text amendments. One of these initiatives, “Zoning for Housing Opportunity,” addresses the city’s housing shortage. Although the text amendment has not yet been drafted, Mayor Adams listed four key housing proposals in his announcement.