AIANY Joins Coalition for the Reform of State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)

Unlock New York’s Future, a new coalition of over 30 housing, environmental, transit, community development, business, and civic organizations from across the state, has formed in support of reforms to modernize the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) as part of the FY2026-27 Budget. The proposed changes prioritize cutting red tape and reducing administrative burdens while making it easier to strengthen our environmental projects and build critical projects, lowering the cost of housing and utilities. When SEQRA was established in the 1970s, it was designed to stop a range of environmentally destructive actions, such as new coal-fired power plants and highways built straight through neighborhoods. Today, however, SEQRA limits New York’s ability to build green infrastructure projects necessary to meet the State’s climate targets, such as solar panels, electric trains, and energy-efficiency housing near transit. The proposed reforms to SEQRA in Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget Proposal are a critical step to unlocking opportunities to build the green housing and infrastructure our city desperately needs.  

Unlock New York’s Future includes: 

• American Institute of Architects New York (AIANY) 
• Association for a Better Long Island 
• The Building & Realty Institute of the Hudson Valley 
• Catskill Center for Conservation and Development 
• Climate Changemakers Brooklyn 
• CNY Fair Housing 
• Citizens Budget Commission 
• Citizens Housing & Planning Council 
• Community Preservation Corporation 
• Effective Transit Alliance 
• Enterprise Community Partners 
• Habitat for Humanity NYC and Westchester County 
• Habitat for Humanity of New York State (Habitat for Humanity NYS) 
• Hudson River Housing 
• Lantern Organization 
• Leadership Now Project 
• Long Island Association 
• Long Island Builders Institute 
• Long Island Housing Coalition 
• Long Island Housing Services, Inc. 
• New York Building Congress 
• New York Housing Conference 
• New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH) 
• New York State Builders Association 
• Open New York 
• Partnership for New York City 
• Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) 
• Queens Economic Development Corporation 
• Regional Plan Association 
• Responsive Government Action 
• Riders Alliance  
• True North Realty Associates, LLC 
• Westchester County Association 
• Westhab