Affordable Housing Development After Adoption of New York's City of Yes Zoning

Land Use and Government attorneys Kenneth Lowenstein and Barak Wrobel authored an article analyzing sweeping changes to New York City's affordable housing provisions contained in the recently approved City of Yes for Housing Opportunity (COY HO) zoning initiative. Their article details how COY HO introduces the Uniform Affordability Preference Program (UAP), designed to broaden affordable housing options by easing density and parking requirements, permitting accessory dwelling units and supporting office-to-residential conversions, while requiring that all additional floor area obtained through UAP be fully dedicated to affordable housing. The authors also highlight that the prior Voluntary Inclusionary Housing Program (VIH) will continue to be available in certain areas through grandfathering provisions, noting the strategic implications of these changes for both condominium and rental developers under the city's evolving land use framework.

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