Why does it take so long to build new affordable housing in NYC?

EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) -- Longtime East Harlem resident Carlos Vargas echoed a sentiment resonating with millions of hard-working New Yorkers: affordable housing construction is simply not keeping up with demand.

"Housing is very expensive in this neighborhood. Hopefully I can get into it because right now I'm paying too much money," said Vargas.

Take, for example, four affordable housing sites in East Harlem -- all on city-owned land. Community Board 11 chair Xavier Santiago said his members started discussing them a decade ago.

The city approved them three years ago in 2021, and today, they are still years away from completion. PIX11 News wanted to find out exactly why it takes so long to get tenants moved in.

Here’s what we found.

The existing affordable housing development timeline on city-owned land takes a minimum of 5-7 years, and starts when:

1. The city gets community input
2. and then requests developer proposals.
3. After that, the City selects the winning proposal,
4. which must then move through the City Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.
5. Once that’s complete, the City Council must approve the proposal.
6. Then the City agrees on a financing agreement with the developer.
7. Only then does construction begin, which typically takes 1-2 years.

"I think it's sad. I think the government is not really doing what it's supposed to do for low-income people," said Vera, another longtime East Harlem resident.

Ahmed Tigani is deputy commissioner of the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Tigani said the Adams administration wants to streamline that process with several time-saving initiatives. They include the “City of Yes” citywide rezoning reform plan. If passed, it would:

• End affordable housing parking space requirements
• Increase the number of units that can be built on an affordable housing site
• Allow for the construction of residential units on main streets (vs. Commercial development only)

"The frustration they feel, the frustration that we feel here in government, we are all behind the idea of getting more units built. It's the reason why we are committed to reforming, reducing, and making smart the process of building housing," said Tigani.

The overall goal through all of the initiatives is to cut the overall development timeline in half, according to Tigani.