New York City Finances Over 25,000 Affordable Homes in 2019

The addition of over 25,000 affordable homes brings the City’s total affordable homes financed since 2014 to over 147,000. On February 3, 2020, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced that the City financed 25,889 homes in 2019. Of this number, 15,692 affordable homes were preserved and another 10,197 new affordable homes were financed.


Comptroller Stringer Releases Plan to Address City’s Affordable Housing Problems

Universal Affordable Housing would require 25 percent permanently low-income affordable housing in all new development with ten or more units. On January 29, 2020, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer announced a citywide housing strategy to fundamentally realign the City’s approach to the housing crisis. The strategy, coined Housing We Need, will include a universal requirement for 25 percent permanently low-income affordable housing in all as-of-right developments with at least ten units.


HPD Announces Financing for Nearly 800 Affordable Units in Downtown Far Rockaway

Over 1,380 new affordable apartments were added to Far Rockaway since it was rezoned in 2017. On January 15, 2020, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced a new plan to add 793 affordable apartments to revitalize and strengthen neighborhoods in the Downtown Far Rockway area of Queens. Units will be spread across three properties – RadRoc, Beach 21 and Rockaway Village, and will include units set aside for the formerly homeless and individuals … <Read More>


Mayor’s Office Releases Blueprint for Future of Fair Housing

New Fair Housing Litigation Unit will use “secret shoppers” to test the housing market for discrimination and hold bad actors accountable. On January 7, 2020, the Office of the Mayor released the Where We Live NYC Draft Plan for public review. Where We Live NYC is a comprehensive plan to advance opportunity for New Yorkers by promoting fair housing and undo intentional policies and practices of segregation and inequity. The Draft Plan analyzes the state … <Read More>


Developer Seeks Rezoning to Build Nine-Story Building in Crown Heights [UPDATED]

Community Board and Borough President in agreement about a slightly smaller zoning designation. On January 8, 2020, the City Planning Commission heard an application by EMP Capital Group to rezone a portion of two blocks fronting on the corner of Grand Avenue and Pacific Street in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The rezoning would help facilitate the development of a nine-story mixed-use building at 979-985 Pacific Street. The applicant is represented by Richard Lobel of Sheldon Lobel … <Read More>


HPD Opens City’s First LGBT-Friendly Affordable Senior Housing

The project is a part of NYCHA’s efforts to build 10,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade. On December 17, 2019, the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the opening of Stonewall House, a new LGBT-friendly affordable elder housing at 112 St. Edwards Street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. The project is the first elder housing in both the City and State to be designed as “LGBT-friendly.”