New York City rewrote its zoning to make room for 80,000 more homes

New York City’s zoning rules decide what can be built and where, and for decades they limited how much housing could be added in many neighborhoods. The 2023 Housing and Vacancy Survey found a citywide rental vacancy rate of 1.4%. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity changed zoning across all five boroughs. In many areas, owners of one- and two-family homes can now add a small extra unit. Parking mandates for new housing are gone in much of the city and cut in other areas. Medium- and high-density buildings can add about 20% more housing if the added homes stay affordable for good. Small apartment buildings are allowed near transit and along shopping streets, and offices are easier to convert into homes.

You don’t apply for anything. The changes make room for new homes, and the city expects about 80,000 of them over 15 years. One year in, more than 100 developments had applied for the affordability bonus, which is expected to produce 5,400 homes. About 900 of those would be affordable to households at an average of 60% of the area median income.

Mayor Eric Adams launched the plan in 2023, and City Planning Director Dan Garodnick helped develop it and led a public review that included more than 175 community board meetings. Speaker Adrienne Adams, Land Use Chair Rafael Salamanca, and Zoning Chair Kevin Riley negotiated changes and a $5 billion package for affordable housing, sewers, flood protection, and rent vouchers. The Council approved it 31–20. A judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the zoning in November 2025, but the challengers appealed in May 2026; that appeal remains pending.