NYC launches Fast Track
New York City launched a “Fast Track” program meant to shave years off building timelines for hundreds of affordable homes — the initiative targets permitting and approvals backlogs to speed delivery of family‑sized units (program announced March 2026) (patch.com).
The program is formally named the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track and was announced on March 25, 2026 by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani alongside Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg and HPD Commissioner Dina Levy. (nyc.gov) HPD said it will issue a Request for Qualifications due May 8, 2026 to pre‑qualify developers, with a stated priority for nonprofit organizations and minority‑ and women‑owned businesses. (nyc.gov) City officials say the Fast Track will shorten the pre‑development Request‑for‑Proposals process by eight months and — combined with the voter‑approved Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP) from November 2025 — cut pre‑development timelines by more than two years. (nyc.gov) HPD identified three initial sites for the faster process — 784–800 Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn, 1337 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, and 109‑43 Farmers Boulevard in Queens — which the city says could produce as many as 300 affordable homes together, including roughly 100 affordable homeownership units. (nyc.gov) The Mamdani administration told reporters the Fast Track, paired with other streamlining measures, could help advance development of up to 1,000 affordable homes over the next two years. (vinnews.com) The City Planning Commission has published proposed rules to set the methodology for the Affordable Housing Fast Track and scheduled a public hearing for April 1, 2026 to take testimony and written comments on the rules. (rules.cityofnewyork.us) Mayor Mamdani established a Land Inventory Fast Track (LIFT) Task Force by executive order on January 1, 2026 to identify underused city‑owned parcels that could be funneled into programs like Neighborhood Builders. (cityrealty.com)
