City of Yes for Housing Opportunity

In recent decades, high-demand neighborhoods have lost affordable housing and become increasingly out of reach to working families.

The Universal Affordability Preference allows buildings in medium and high-density districts to add at least 20% more housing, if the additional homes are income-restricted and affordable to households earning 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). As a result, it UAP will deliver new affordable housing in high-cost neighborhoods across New York City to working families. 

“Accessory dwelling units” (ADUs) like backyard cottages, garage conversions, and basement apartments are a proven tool to support homeowners, and they provide more space for multigenerational families without significantly changing the look and feel of a neighborhood.

City of Yes allows ADUs in one and two-family homes in all low-density districts, with restrictions on certain types in certain areas to address concerns around flooding and neighborhood context.

Outdated rules have prevented underused offices and other non-residential space from converting to housing. For example, many buildings constructed after 1961, or outside the city's largest office centers, have been unable converted to housing.

City of Yes expands non-residential conversions citywide, and moves up the eligibility date to 1991, and allows for a wider variety of residential conversions. This is a win-win policy, that will create urgently-needed homes and fill empty and underused buildings across the city.

Modest apartment buildings with stores on the street and apartments above exist in low-density areas across the five boroughs – most of them from the 1920s to 1950s. However, in recent decades, zoning has prohibited that classic form even in areas where it’s very common.

City of Yes relegalizes buildings with either 2, 3 or 4 stories of housing above a commercial ground floor, depending on underlying zoning. These buildings will match their surroundings and provide urgently needed homes.  

Modest apartment buildings exist across lower-density areas of the five boroughs, most of them built between the 1920s and 1950s. However, in the decades since, zoning bans new ones despite the severe housing shortage.

City of Yes re-legalizes modestly-sized, transit-oriented apartment buildings in low-density residence districts. These “missing middle” apartment buildings will match the scale and character of existing buildings.

Qualifying sites must be in low-density R3-R5 zoning districts; 5,000 sf or larger; located on a wide street (75 feet or more) or the short end of the block; and fall within the transit-oriented development eligibility area, which can be viewed here.

For decades, New York City mandated off-street parking along with new housing even where it's not needed, driving down housing production and driving up rents.

City of Yes significantly rolls back parking mandates via a three-zone system:

1. No parking is required across the Manhattan Core and Long Island City Parking Areas and the Inner Transit Zone. This is the most populous mandate-free area in America with 2.6 million residents.
2. In the Outer Transit Zone, parking mandates are significantly reduced.
3. Beyond the Outer Transit Zone, mandates remain, but more buildings are exempt, including “Town Center” developments under 75 units and ADUs.

Across NYC, many campuses, including churches and private residential co-ops, have underused space that they could turn into housing, if arbitrary zoning rules didn’t get in the way.

By removing obstacles and streamlining outdated rules, City of Yes makes it easier to add new contextual, height-limited buildings to campuses. Green space and other recreation space on campuses, like playgrounds, will be protected. These changes do not apply to NYCHA campuses.

NYC banned shared housing in the 1950s and apartment buildings full of smaller apartments in the 1960s. In the decades since, tthis has contributed to the homelessness crisis and forced people who would prefer to live alone into living with roommates.

By lowering and standardizing the dwelling unit factor, City of Yes allows buildings with more studios and one-bedrooms. City of Yes also clears the way for more housing with shared kitchens and other common facilities.

Allowing more small and shared apartments will create a wider variety of housing options, and open larger, family-sized apartments that would otherwise be occupied by roommates.