In testimony to the New York City Charter Revision on Wednesday, NYHC called for reforms to city land use that would support affordable housing development and new housing citywide.
In order to address the issues of housing affordability and inequitable patterns of development, NYHC calls on the commission to focus on changes that:
- create an easier approval process for affordable housing
- create a faster process for housing development, and
- make housing and zoning decisions with more of a boroughwide and citywide approach.
As such, NYHC made the following recommendations:
- Create a fast-track Board of Standards and Appeals waiver for HPD-sponsored affordable housing seeking a limited rezoning
- Exempt disposition of City-owned land for affordable housing that conforms to underlying zoning from ULURP
- In districts that are not meeting their production targets in the Fair Housing Framework, ULURP would end at City Planning Commission
- Merge Community Board and Borough Board review during ULURP under the control of the borough president.
- Delegate review of small or minor projects with strictly local significance to borough presidents as the final step
- Remove minor items from ULURP, requiring agency approval only, for actions including special permits, revocable consents, concessions, franchises
Read our testimony here.