Over 165,000 affordable homes have been preserved or built across New York City since
Mayor de Blasio launched the Housing New York (HNY) initiative in 2014. Through this plan,
the City has pursued an ambitious neighborhood and housing development strategy with
the goal to finance more than 300,000 affordable units through 2026 and build a fairer and
more livable city for all New Yorkers.
In February 2020, HNY opened the year with ambitious goals. In his State of the City address,
Mayor de Blasio announced Your Home NYC, the next phase of Housing New York, which will
prioritize building new homes for the lowest-income New Yorkers. Half of all City-financed
new residential buildings will be for families making under $50,000 per year, and at least
half of those will be for families making less than $30,000 per year. The City was on track
to finish another fiscal year of record productivity while guiding investments toward the
lowest-earning households and the most distressed communities when COVID-19 dealt us
a devastating blow. In the face of this global pandemic, the City understandably needed
to conserve resources for the immediate health care response, but HNY remained focused
on its mission: keeping New Yorkers in safe, secure housing while building and preserving
affordable housing throughout the city’s five boroughs. At the same time, HPD conducted
special outreach to vulnerable New Yorkers to ensure access to food, air conditioning and
personal protective equipment.
An historic investment in the Bronx’s Co-op City, the world’s largest housing cooperative,
drove the City to a record level of preservation and homeownership investment in Fiscal 2020.
Because of this investment, more than 15,000 homes in Co-op City will remain affordable
for current and future homeowners over the next 40 years. In Fiscal 2020, the New York City
Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing
Development Corporation (HDC) locked in over 30,000 affordable homes for 75,000 New
Yorkers. More than 50 percent of those homes serve families earning less than $52,000.
New HPD and HDC programs are achieving deeper levels of affordability, with 44 percent of
HNY units going to extremely low and very low-income households. More than 80 percent
of HNY production served either low-income, very low-income or extremely low-income
families and adults.
HNY’s success depends on the collaboration and commitment of more than a dozen City
agencies and offices, including HPD, HDC, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA),
Department of City Planning (DCP), the New York City Economic Development Corporation
(EDC), the Department of Buildings (DOB), Human Resources Administration (HRA), the
Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development
and the Mayor’s Office of Capital Project Development.
HNY is segmented into the following broad strategies and priority initiatives. Unless otherwise
stated, the accomplishments below occurred between July 2019 through June 2020.
FOSTERING DIVERSE, LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS
HNY recognizes that thriving neighborhoods require affordable housing as well as services and community resources.
Together, DCP, HPD, HDC, SBS, NYCEDC and NYCHA work to provide housing and economic opportunities while
enhancing the livability of neighborhoods.
Accomplishments include:
Where We Live NYC is the City’s comprehensive plan to promote fair housing and advance opportunity for all New
Yorkers. In January 2020, HPD, in partnership with NYCHA, released the Where We Live Draft Plan, outlining key goals
and strategies to address New York City’s fair housing challenges. New Yorkers are increasingly living in neighborhoods
that are more racially and economically diverse, and this Administration has been focused on creating a fairer city for all
by expanding opportunity and strengthening neighborhoods. The de Blasio Administration continues to make progress
implementing inclusive policies and making investments that reduce existing inequities and build a sustainable future
for all New Yorkers.
In August 2019, HPD teamed up with the Center for New York City Neighborhoods (the Center) to focus on bringing life
back to Zombie homes, homes that are vacant, deteriorated and whose owners are behind on their mortgage payments.
The City has tracked at least 2,000 such homes, primarily in areas still working through economic distress caused by
the foreclosure crisis and partnered with housing advocates like the Center to hold mortgage holders accountable and
design new ways to return these abandoned homes to productive use.
In December 2019, HPD, HDC, and EDC announced significant investments in Downtown Far Rockaway that would
add nearly 800 affordable homes to the peninsula. These homes add to the 590 new construction units financed in the
area since the New York City Council voted in favor of a neighborhood rezoning in Far Rockaway in September 2017.
The newly financed affordable housing units will be spread across three projects – RadRoc, Beach 21, and Rockaway
Village Phase II. Upon completion, the units will be affordable to households earning a wide range of incomes, including
the formerly homeless, extremely low- to moderate-income New Yorkers. These projects will also create new public
space, improved infrastructure, jobs, as well as commercial and community space for local businesses and nonprofits.
In December 2019, EDC and HPD joined city officials and BFC Partners at the historic Bedford Union Armory in Crown
Heights to celebrate the groundbreaking of the site’s redevelopment. Community leaders have long envisioned this
becoming a vibrant gathering space for the Crown Heights community. In addition to affordable housing and affordable
space for local non-profits, The Armory will accommodate several enrichment activities and educational programs
including computer and coding classes, dance and performance studios, and literacy courses. The space will also include
a recreation center that will house three basketball courts; a multi-use field that will be used for soccer, volleyball, and
martial arts; a full-length swimming pool; a fitness center; and areas designated for boxing and archery.
PRESERVING THE AFFORDABILITY AND QUALITY OF THE
EXISTING HOUSING STOCK
The City works to create new affordable housing units while also preserving the affordability of the existing affordable
housing stock so that tenants and homeowners can stay in their homes. In Fiscal 2020, the City preserved the affordability
of a record 23,520 homes and focused on protecting tenants and keeping them in their homes.
Accomplishments include:
In April 2020, HPD announced the preservation of 16,083 affordable homes for New Yorkers, including Co-op City, the
largest housing cooperative in the world, and Cooper Square, the oldest Community Land Trust in the city. HPD locked
in affordability for 15,372 homes spread across 73 buildings in Co-op City until 2052. The affordability agreement
guarantees Co-op City’s continuation in the Mitchell-Lama program and the major development will receive accessibility
upgrades for 45 buildings thanks to a $1 million commitment from the New York City Council.
In March 2020, HPD announced sweeping enforcement actions against landlords of NYC’s most troubled buildings.
Through its new Anti-Harassment Unit (AHU), formed in 2019 to address tenant harassment, HPD sought nearly
COLLABORATING TO DELIVER RESULTS: Housing New York | Page 21
$400,000 in housing court from two property owners to halt harassment and correct conditions in six buildings in
Manhattan and the Bronx.
In November 2019, HPD and the Center for New York City Neighborhoods (the Center) began accepting applications
for HomeFix, a program which provides financing for homeowners in need of repairs. The program was made possible
through funding from Enterprise Community Partners, the New York City Council, the City of New York, and the
Office of the New York Attorney General and provides affordable and potentially forgivable loans to eligible lowto middle-income New York City homeowners who are underserved by private institutions. HomeFix leverages the
Center’s extensive network of nonprofit partners to provide support to local homeowners through technical assistance,
education, and financial counseling.
In November 2019, HPD, in partnership with LeadFreeNYC, launched an outreach and education campaign to remind
property owners of their responsibilities under the law when it comes to identifying lead-based paint hazards and
remediating those hazards safely. The campaign also informed property owners about grants and other available
resources that can help fulfill those obligations. In addition, HPD and DOHMH conducted targeted outreach to
approximately 100,000 households, and in buildings where owners did not address lead hazards, HPD made repairs
and billed owners. In February 2020, HPD joined New York Attorney General Letitia James as she announced a lawsuit
against a property management corporation that failed to comply with NYC’s lead poisoning prevention law. HPD
will continue to educate property owners and tenants of their responsibilities and rights regarding lead hazards in the
home, and partner with advocates seeking to get lead exposure in New York City down to zero.
In October 2019, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) launched a campaign to educate tenants on new rent
reform laws. The campaign was designed to help New Yorkers fully benefit from the Home Stability and Tenant Protect
Act of 2019 – explaining protections they have in order to empower them to advocate for themselves. In June 2020,
in the wake of the pandemic, MOPT also launched a new tenant helpline for New Yorkers at risk of eviction due to
COVID-related loss of income. It has provided a critical service for New Yorkers navigating changing guidelines regarding
evictions and rent relief during the pandemic.
BUILDING NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL NEW YORKERS
New York City’s residents come from all corners of the globe and all walks of life. The City seeks to preserve the diversity
of its neighborhoods through programs designed to reach residents at all income levels, as well as programs that will
produce affordable housing on vacant and underdeveloped parcels of public land in all five boroughs.
Accomplishments include:
In November 2019, HPD and HDC celebrated the opening of the first completed residential building in the Lambert
Houses redevelopment. The 163-unit affordable housing residence replaced a 44-unit demolished building at 988
East 180th Street, which was vacated with all tenants relocated within the existing Lambert Houses development.
Ultimately, the entire redevelopment will include 13 new buildings, increasing the number of residential units by nearly
1,000, creating 1,665 permanently affordable residential units with a host of tenant amenities, retail space, community
facilities, up-to-date mechanical systems and energy efficiency standards, and improved configuration and services for
greater resident service and security.
In February 2020, HPD and HDC celebrated the opening of Beach Green Dunes II, a 100 percent affordable housing
development in Edgemere, Queens. The development is a cutting-edge, sustainable project that furthers the City’s
commitment to building a stronger, more resilient Edgemere community. The building brings 127 new homes to
Edgemere in addition to retail and outdoor recreation space, including a play area for children. Of the 127 affordable
apartments, more than 50 homes are for the lowest income families making less than $50,000 a year, and 13 are set
aside for homeless New Yorkers.
In August 2019, HPD, in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects New York (AIANY), presented the five
finalists of the Big Ideas for Small Lots NYC competition, which sought innovative solutions to transform difficult-todevelop properties into affordable housing. Dozens of small and irregular lots stand vacant in New York City. These
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lots, many owned by the City, are considered too small and too difficult to develop by conventional means, yet they
are too large to ignore, especially amid a shortage of affordable housing.
Even beyond building new affordable housing, the City has worked to improve the process of connecting people to
housing, especially in light of COVID-19. In the midst of the pandemic, HPD asked its developers to rent out additional
apartments to homeless families, providing 350 homes to move families out of shelter. And in June 2020, HPD launched
the new NYC Housing Connect, which draws on user feedback to make the process of applying for affordable housing
easier than ever. The new mobile-optimized website streamlines the application process, providing New Yorkers with
a clear picture of the opportunities they can apply for. It also includes more types of housing than ever before, such
as homeownership and re-rentals.
INCOME BAND DEFINITIONS
Income Band
Percentage Of Area
Median Income
Monthly Rent Required
To Prevent Rent Burden
Annual Income Range
(Three-Person Household)
Extremely Low Income 0-30% ≤$768 ≤$30,720
Very Low Income 31-50% $769-$1,280 $30,721-$51,200
Low Income 51-80% $1,281-$2,048 $51,201-$81,920
Moderate Income 81-120% $2,049-$3,072 $81,921-$122,880
Middle Income 121-165% $3,073-$4,224 $122,881-$168,960
PROMOTING homeless, SENIOR, SUPPORTIVE AND ACCESSIBLE
HOUSING
The City provides supportive, accessible housing to the homeless and other vulnerable New Yorkers with special needs.
Accomplishments include:
In September 2019, HPD, HDC, NYCHA, and New York State officials joined Breaking Ground to celebrate the start of
construction on 152 units of affordable and supportive housing in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx.
Betances Residence development is part of a commitment by NYCHA and HPD to identify underutilized land for new
affordable homes, and it will house formerly homeless and low-income seniors, including current NYCHA residents. The
120,000 square foot development will feature a 24-hour attended lobby, state of the art security systems, a laundry
room, digital library and computer lab, multipurpose room for events and programming, and landscaped courtyard
and terrace spaces.
In November 2019, Concern for Independent Living, a leading non-profit provider of affordable and supportive housing
and Georgica Green Ventures, a full-service affordable housing developer and asset manager, celebrated the opening
of Surf Vets Place, a 135-unit supportive and affordable housing development for homeless veterans and low-income
families in need of affordable housing in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Located one block from Coney Island beach and
boardwalk, Surf Vets Place includes studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as an exercise room,
community room and computer room.
In December 2019, NYCHA, HDC, and HPD celebrated the opening of Stonewall House, New York State’s first LGBTfriendly affordable elder housing complex, the largest such development in the nation. Stonewall House, the first project
to be completed under the NextGen NYCHA initiative, is a 17-story building in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. It provides 145
units of affordable housing for households who earn 50 percent or less of the area median income and include at
least one person who is 62-years-of-age or older. 25 percent of these homes will be occupied by formerly homeless
households. SAGE, the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elder people,
operates a community center on the ground floor.
In December 2019, HPD released a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI), seeking qualified nonprofits and
community-based organizations to participate in an accessibility expansion of the Housing Ambassador Program. The
expansion focuses on building HPD’s network of Housing Ambassadors, to offer enhanced assistance for New Yorkers
COLLABORATING TO DELIVER RESULTS: Housing New York | Page 23
with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency who are applying for affordable housing. The expansion is made
possible with support from Citi.
enable experienced non-profits to move more rapidly into contract for vacant properties, eliminating a growing obstacle
to development on private sites.
Actual Annual Target Cumulative
FY18 FY19 FY20 FY20 FY21
HNY(1/1/14
6/30/2020)
Target
2026
HOUSING UNITS STARTED
Total starts (new and preservation) 32,343 25,321 30,023 25,000 * 165,590 300,000
New construction starts 9,370 9,141 6,503 10,000 * 50,656 120,000