Page 20 - The Indian EYE 100926

North The Indian Eye

AMERICANNewsline

20 OCTOBER 09, 2026
Mamdani Administration Puts

12 Neighborhoods on Fast Track for

Affordable Housing

Voter-approved process will speed up affordable housing development in neighborhoods that have produced the least

OUR BUREAU

NEW YORK, NY
he Mamdani administration
is putting 12 New York City
Tneighborhoods on a fast track
for affordable housing, moving to
speed up development in commu-
nities that have produced the least
amount of affordable housing in re-
cent years. will apply. Soon, it will be easier to
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani build affordable housing in the dis-
and Department of City Planning tricts that have added the least — an
(DCP) Director Sideya Sherman an- important step in our work to deliver
nounced the 12 community districts the housing options in every neigh-
where the voter-approved Affordable borhood that New Yorkers deserve,”
Housing Fast Track will take effect in resent roughly one-fifth of New York livering it. The Affordable Housing said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for
January 2027, bringing the city one City’s 59 community districts but pro- Fast Track gives us a new tool to cut Housing and Planning.
step closer to a housing system where duced just 883 of 63,870 new afford- through red tape and make sure our The Mamdani administration
every neighborhood does its part to able homes over the past five years, or housing growth is shared more fairly moved quickly to put the Fast Track
meet the needs of New Yorkers. 1.1 per cent of the citywide total. On across all five boroughs. We are going into action, adopting a clear and con-
The 12 districts are Brooklyn average, the districts produced just 12 to build – block by block, neighbor- sistent methodology in April to mea-
Community District 10, covering Bay affordable homes per district per year. hood by neighborhood — at the scale sure affordable housing production
Ridge and Dyker Heights; Brooklyn The four lowest-producing com- this crisis demands.” relative to each community district’s
Community District 12, covering Bor- munity districts each produced fewer The initiative follows a vote in existing housing stock. The 12 districts
ough Park and Kensington; Brook- than 10 affordable homes over five November 2025, when New York will be recalculated every five years
lyn Community District 18, covering years. The highest-producing district City voters approved changes to the based on updated affordable housing
Canarsie and Flatlands; Manhattan created eight times as many afford- City Charter to address the uneven production, with the next list issued in
Community District 7, covering the able homes as all 12 Fast Track dis- distribution of affordable housing. October 2031.
Upper West Side; and Manhattan tricts combined. The AHFT summary Beginning January 1, 2027, eligible “For too long, affordable hous-
Community District 8, covering the dataset is available here. rezoning proposals that create af- ing production has been deeply un-
Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island. “For too long, affordable housing fordable housing in the 12 designated even across New York City, leaving
The list also includes Queens production has been concentrated districts will use a streamlined 90-day too many New Yorkers with too few
Community District 4, covering Co- in a small number of neighborhoods, public review process, cutting roughly choices about where they can live,”
rona and Elmhurst; Queens Com- while other communities have pro- four months from the traditional Uni- said DCP Director Sideya Sherman.
munity District 5, covering Ridge- duced little or none,” Mamdani said. form Land Use Review Procedure, or “The Affordable Housing Fast Track
wood, Maspeth and Middle Village; “The 12 Fast Track districts represent ULURP. gives us a new tool to help change this
Queens Community District 10, cov- roughly one-fifth of New York City’s The Fast Track preserves Com- by making it easier to advance per-
ering South Ozone Park and Howard 59 community districts but produced munity Board and Borough President manently affordable housing in com-
Beach; Queens Community District just 883 of 63,870 new affordable review and opportunities for public munities that have produced the least.
11, covering Auburndale, Bayside and homes over the past five years — 1.1% input. It does not change environmen- We look forward to using this tool to
Douglaston; and Queens Community of the citywide total.” tal review requirements or landmark expand housing opportunities across
District 13, covering Queens Village, “New York’s housing crisis is not protections. these 12 districts and bring meaning-
Bellerose and Rosedale. Staten Island going to be solved by asking the same “Last November, New Yorkers ful housing relief to New Yorkers.”
is represented by Community District neighborhoods to do all the building,” went to the polls and delivered a man- Housing Preservation and De-
2, covering Mid-Island, and Com- said Mayor Mamdani. date for affordability. We’ve moved velopment Commissioner Dina Levy
munity District 3, covering the South “Every New Yorker deserves quickly to implement these new tools said the initiative would give every
Shore. a home they can afford, and every like the Affordable Housing Fast neighborhood a role in addressing the
The 12 Fast Track districts rep- neighborhood must be part of de- Track, with clear criteria for where it city’s affordability problems.

www.TheIndianEYE.com