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Mamdani rolls out fast-track plan for affordable housing
The changes could reduce the pre-development timeline by more than two years, the administration states.
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 25, Mar 2026
- 15:13 EDT
- 14
Zohran Mamdani at the press conference / Screengrab from the press conference
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on March 25 announced a new program aimed at speeding up the construction of affordable housing on city-owned land.
The move comes as his administration moves to cut what it says are lengthy pre-development delays.
Also Read: Mamdani establishes NYC’s first office for LGBTQIA+ affairs
The program, called Neighborhood Builders Fast Track, will allow the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to pre-qualify affordable housing developers and reduce the pre-development Request for Proposals process by about eight months for certain projects, according a press release issued by the mayor’s office.
Combined with the new Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP), the administration said the changes could reduce the pre-development timeline by more than two years.
The move comes as New York City continues to face a severe housing shortage, with low vacancy rates and rising rents intensifying pressure on low- and middle-income residents.
“Our city is facing a historic housing crisis -- the last thing we need to do is tie ourselves in red tape,” Mamdani said. “The Neighborhood Builders Fast Track will speed up housing development and make it faster to build on city-owned land.”
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg said the initiative is intended to make the city’s affordable housing pipeline move more efficiently while also advancing specific projects already identified by the administration.
“New Yorkers deserve a government that doesn’t just deliver high-quality, affordable housing – but that also delivers it efficiently and effectively,” Bozorg said.
She added that the city is advancing projects at 784 Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn, 1337 Jerome Ave. in the Bronx, and 109-43 Farmers Blvd. in Queens, which are expected to include new homeownership opportunities.
HPD Commissioner Dina Levy said the program is designed to lower costs and accelerate timelines while maximizing the use of public land for housing.
“Public land is a public good – and we will not let city-owned sites sit idle while New Yorkers struggle to find an affordable home,” Levy said.
According to the administration, HPD has issued a Request for Qualifications for affordable housing developers interested in joining the program, with submissions due by May 8. The city said the initiative will prioritize nonprofit organizations and minority- and women-owned businesses.
The first set of sites expected to move through the new process could deliver up to 300 affordable homes, including about 100 affordable homeownership opportunities at the Bronx and Queens locations, officials said.
The city said it expects to use the fast-track model to advance as many as 1,000 new homes over the next two years.
The initiative is part of a broader housing push by the Mamdani administration. On his first day in office, Mamdani signed Executive Orders 4 and 5, creating the Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) and Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development (SPEED) task forces, which are expected to recommend further changes this spring.
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