In a major push to address its ongoing housing shortage, Zohran Kwame Mamdani has introduced a new initiative designed to dramatically accelerate affordable housing construction across the city.
The “Neighborhood Builders Fast Track” program aims to reduce pre-development timelines by nearly half by pre-qualifying developers and streamlining the selection process. Officials say the initiative could significantly speed up the delivery of housing on publicly owned land, where bureaucratic delays have historically slowed progress.
“Our city is facing a historic housing crisis -- the last thing we need to do is tie ourselves in red tape,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The Neighborhood Builders Fast Track will speed up housing development and make it faster to build on city-owned land. This administration is willing to move at the speed of need to make this a city New Yorkers can continue to call home.”
The program is being rolled out alongside broader reforms, including the Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP), which together are expected to cut more than two years from the housing development process.
Under the new system, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will issue a Request for Qualifications to identify developers—particularly nonprofits and minority- and women-owned businesses—capable of delivering affordable housing quickly and efficiently.
“New Yorkers deserve a government that doesn’t just deliver high-quality, affordable housing – but that also delivers it efficiently and effectively. I am proud to launch the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track alongside the HPD team who are working to deliver affordable housing across the five boroughs,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.
Initial projects under the program include sites in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens, which together could deliver up to 300 new affordable homes, including approximately 100 homeownership opportunities. Over the next two years, the city expects the program to help advance as many as 1,000 housing units.
"New York City needs more affordable housing, built faster and at lower cost — and HPD is not waiting to deliver it," said Dina Levy, Housing and Preservation Commissioner. "The Neighborhood Builders Fast Track will reduce costs, speed up timelines, and maximize affordability. 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."
The fast-track initiative builds on earlier executive actions, including the creation of the Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) and SPEED task forces, both aimed at identifying buildable city land and reforming approval processes.
City leaders and housing advocates say the program represents a shift toward urgency and scale in tackling affordability challenges.
“I look forward to working with Mayor Mamdani on the Neighborhood Builders program to deliver urgently needed affordable housing,” said Council Member Chi Ossé. “Since taking office, I have made one priority clear: build more housing and keep our neighbors here… With Neighborhood Builders accelerating this work, we can move faster to confront rising rents and prevent displacement, because the people who give this city its life deserve to remain part of its future.”
“With the highest loss of black residents in the city, Mayor Mamdani picked the perfect place to start - Bed Stuy. Transforming vacant city-owned land to 100% affordable housing. This is what we have been calling for. This is hope. This is a downpayment of what is to come - building thousands of affordable homes in Bed Stuy and Central Brooklyn so the people who live here can stay here. Moving from words to action,” said Rev. Dr. Adolphus Lacey.
Housing organizations and developers have broadly welcomed the move, emphasizing the need for faster approvals to match the scale of the crisis.
“With a 1.4% vacancy rate, New Yorkers need more affordable housing, and fast,” said Annemarie Gray, Executive Director of Open New York. “We need to use every tool to speed up the creation of new homes, and the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track is a powerful new one. By cutting 8 months of process, affordable housing will get built faster, enabling more New Yorkers to access homes they can afford. We're excited to see the Mamdani Administration, Deputy Mayor Bozorg, and Commissioner Levy prioritize the fast delivery of more affordable housing."
"New York's housing crisis isn't years away - it's happening right now. For this reason, government must explore every tool at its disposal to cut the time it takes to build affordable homes. The Neighborhood Builders Fast Track is an initiative that prioritizes organizations that understand our communities and looks to accelerate livability for families," said Carlina Rivera, President and CEO of NYSAFAH.
“As a third-generation MBE developer and general contractor, Apex Building Group is pleased to see this new Neighborhood Builders initiative that will help broaden the circle of participants in the development of urgently needed affordable units. Speeding up the process of getting from the initial idea to shovel in the ground is essential if we are going to meet the housing demand,” said Lee A. Brathwaite, CEO of Apex Building Group.
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“Constructive Partnerships Unlimited is proud to partner with New York City on permanent housing opportunities for underserved New Yorkers and utilize initiatives like Neighborhood Builders Fast Track to lower costs and expedite construction. Building affordable homes is a vital cause that impacts dignity, stability, and opportunity, and we look forward to advancing additional projects so more New Yorkers can find a place to call home and build a meaningful future," said Joseph M. Pancari.
"Comunilifeis committed to expanding affordable and supportive housing, we welcome the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track as a critical step toward an equitable development process. Prioritizing nonprofits and M/WBE developers strengthens local capacity and ensures that the communities most affected by the housing crisis are part of the solution," said Blanca Ramirez.
Beyond New York City, the program reflects a broader trend among major U.S. cities seeking to unlock public land and streamline approvals to address persistent housing shortages. By reducing pre-development bottlenecks, cities can lower financing risks, attract more developers, and bring units online faster.
If successful, the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track could serve as a model for other municipalities balancing affordability, equity, and speed—especially as rising construction costs and limited land availability continue to challenge housing production nationwide.
Originally reported by New York Government.
