12 Community Districts Identified for Affordable Housing Fast Track

The New York City Department of City Planning recently released a list of the 12 community districts that have produced the fewest number of affordable housing units over the past five years. Affordable housing projects in these districts will now be eligible for a streamlined 90-day public review process, known as the Affordable Housing Fast Track. This tool was approved by NYC voters on the November Ballot in 2025 via an amendment to the City Charter with the goal of spurring development citywide. The program goes into effect on January 1, 2027, and the following districts are eligible:

• Brooklyn CD 10: Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights
• Brooklyn CD 12: Borough Park, Kensington
• Brooklyn CD 18: Canarsie, Flatlands
• Manhattan CD 7: Upper West Side
• Manhattan CD 8: Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island
• Queens CD 4: Corona, Elmhurst
• Queens CD 5: Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village
• Queens CD 10: South Ozone Park, Howard Beach
• Queens CD 11: Auburndale, Bayside, Douglaston
• Queens CD 13: Queens Village, Bellerose, Rosedale
• Staten Island CD 2: Mid-Island
• Staten Island CD 3: South Shore

More Advocacy News

• NYCEDC recently launched the RFP for NYC Mass Timber Studio: Accelerating Housing Development. Public question submissions close on 10/9 and applications close on 10/30. This program is a great opportunity for architects to explore the application of mass timber in NYC and uplift the City as a leader in industrialized construction and low carbon construction materials.
• Join AIA New York and ULI on the morning of October 13 for a conversation on how major transit investment presents opportunities for strategic housing and economic development alongside public realm improvements and strengthening resiliency. Using the Interborough Express (IBX) as a case study, this conversation will explore how NYC can proactively align development strategies, public realm improvements, and funding tools with transformative infrastructure investments to maximize community benefits, boost ridership, support vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods, and advance affordability. Speakers include: Moderator: Maulin Mehta, New York Director, Regional Plan Association; Alyssa Cobb Konon, Deputy Chief Development Officer, Planning, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; Cheehan Leung, Director, Mayor’s Office of Capital Project Development, NYC Office of the Mayor; Edith Hsu-Chen, Executive Director, New York City Department of City Planning; and Michelle de la Uz, Executive Director, Fifth Avenue Committee. Register here!