(City & State) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is now more than halfway through her ambitious five-year, $25 billion affordable housing plan, and according to state officials, the effort remains “on track to meet its goal once again.”

Announced in 2022, the initiative set out to build or preserve 100,000 affordable homes across New York by 2027, following the blueprint of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s earlier five-year housing program. That prior plan, launched in 2017, hit its target by 2022, giving Hochul a tested model to follow.

Progress So Far

According to Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the state’s affordable housing agency, more than 65,000 affordable units have been built or preserved since 2022.

The numbers have grown steadily in press releases tied to project openings and groundbreakings, but until recently, specific project data was hard to come by. That changed after a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request prompted HCR to release its 2024 legislative progress report and debut a Housing Plan Dashboard on its website.

The interactive map highlights over 350 multi-family developments and homeownership programs funded through Hochul’s $25B plan. Each project has been “created, preserved, or otherwise enhanced” using state resources.

Data Discrepancies and Clarifications

As of June 30, City & State’s review of the dashboard showed about 38,000 units in completed or active projects, plus another 9,000 units from homeownership assistance programs — totaling 47,000 units. That’s notably lower than the 65,100-unit figure displayed at the bottom of the dashboard.

HCR attributed the gap to delays in reporting from local administrators managing projects funded by state grants. In its June 30 annual report to legislative leaders, HCR reaffirmed:

“The state is on track to meet its goal once again.”

The agency said the third year of the five-year plan closed with around 60,000 units in the pipeline.

Regional Breakdown

• New York City remains the epicenter of construction, with 19,000 affordable units built, preserved, or under construction since 2022.
  • Brooklyn leads with nearly 8,000 units across 51 projects — more than any other borough or region.
  • Staten Island ranks last with just one project totaling 75 homes.
  • Queens has six projects adding about 1,200 units.
• Mid-Hudson Valley has recorded the most projects (54), though many are small-scale, adding about 4,100 homes.
• Finger Lakes region leads upstate in total units, with 4,287 homes.
• Long Island reports just 14 projects totaling 1,300 units — a small share, despite high housing demand and rising prices. The region’s historically strong resistance to higher density continues to slow progress.
• Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, and North Country each report fewer homes, reflecting smaller populations and limited large-scale development.

Policy Context and Political Stakes

Hochul’s five-year plan is distinct from her 2024 Housing Compact, which set an even more ambitious goal of 800,000 new units statewide over the next decade. The compact emphasizes incentives for municipalities rather than mandates, a shift in strategy after local pushback.

Her ability to deliver on the 100,000-unit goal by 2027 will likely shape public and legislative support for the broader 10-year vision — especially in suburban regions resistant to change.

Looking Ahead

With roughly two years left in the timeline, the pace of completions will be critical. Many of the largest projects are still under construction, meaning a significant portion of units will be counted near the plan’s end.

In the meantime, Hochul continues to frame the housing initiative as a moral and economic imperative, pointing to the success of the Cuomo-era plan as proof the state can hit big housing targets twice in a row.

Originally reported by Rebecca C. Lewis in City and State New York.