New York, New York, Question 2, Expedited Public Process for Affordable Housing Charter Amendment (November 2025)

New York Question 2
Election date November 4, 2025
Topic Local charter amendments and Local housing
Status On the ballot
Type Referral

New York Question 2 is on the ballot as a referral in New York on November 4, 2025.

A "yes" vote supports creating two new public processes for affordable housing: Enable publicly financed affordable housing to be approved by the Board of Standards and Appeals after review by the affected Community Board; and Establish an expedited land use review process for zoning changes that deliver affordable housing in the 12 community districts with the lowest rate of affordable housing production.

A "no" vote opposes creating two new public processes for affordable housing: Enable publicly financed affordable housing to be approved by the Board of Standards and Appeals after review by the affected Community Board; and Establish an expedited land use review process for zoning changes that deliver affordable housing in the 12 community districts with the lowest rate of affordable housing production.

A simple majority is required to approve the measure.

Election results

New York Question 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		0	0.00%
No		0	0.00%

Overview

What would this charter amendment do to expedite the affordable housing approval process?

This measure would add two new pathways in the City Charter to expedite the approval of affordable housing projects.

The first would be an expedited review for certain rezoning applications in districts that build the least affordable housing. Every five years, starting in 2026, the Department of City Planning would identify 12 community districts with the lowest rates of affordable housing development. In those districts, applications that include required affordable housing under the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program would go through an expedited land use review process instead of the regular ULURP process. This process would shorten timelines by running community board and borough president reviews at the same time, requiring a City Planning Commission decision within 30 to 45 days after those reviews, and removing City Council approval.

The second would authorize the Board of Standards and Appeals to grant zoning modifications for projects that are entirely affordable housing, developed through Housing Development Fund Companies. The BSA could allow changes to zoning rules on use, bulk, or parking if it finds that a project is consistent with affordable housing standards, cannot proceed without the modification, and would not alter neighborhood character. The BSA would be required to hold hearings and issue decisions on a shorter timeline than current procedures.

Measure design

Click on the following sections for summaries of the different provisions of the ballot measure.

Expand All

Create an expedited affordable housing land use procedure

The amendment would add a section to the New York City Charter creating an expedited review process for affordable housing applications in community districts with the lowest levels of affordable housing production.

Every five years, beginning in 2026, the Department of City Planning would publish a list of the 12 community districts with the lowest rate of affordable housing development, measured by the percentage of new affordable units relative to total housing units. In those districts, rezoning and related applications that require affordable housing under the City's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program would be subject to an expedited affordable housing review instead of the standard Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP).

The process would include:

• A 60-day community board review period, concurrent with the borough president’s review;
• A City Planning Commission hearing and final decision within 30 days after those reviews (or 45 days if an environmental impact statement is required);
• Applications certified as complete must have as their primary purpose the facilitation of new housing and affordable housing; and
• The City Planning Commission must find that applications are consistent with the city's Fair Housing Plan and that existing infrastructure is adequate.
  
  

Projects reviewed under this process would not go to the City Council for approval. The City’s Ten-Year Capital Strategy would also be required to incorporate the Fair Housing Plan and the list of districts identified every five years.

Create an expedited zoning modification process for affordable housing projects

The amendment would add a new section to the City Charter authorizing the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) to grant zoning modifications for projects that are 100% affordable housing, developed through Housing Development Fund Companies.

Under this new authority, the BSA could modify zoning rules on use, bulk, or parking if the following findings are made:

• The project is consistent with affordable housing design and development standards set by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).
• The project could not be developed, preserved, or converted without the zoning modification.
• The project would not alter the essential character of the neighborhood.
• The advantages to the community outweigh potential disadvantages.
  
  

The BSA would be required to:

• Hold a hearing within 30 days after the community board review period expires.
• Issue a decision within 30 days of that hearing, or within 60 days if a redesign is needed.
• Include evidence supporting its findings in its decision.
  
  

The process would be limited to projects located in zoning districts that already permit residential uses. Decisions would be shared with the City Planning Commission and HPD, which would also have standing to challenge approvals or denials in court.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 2 is as follows:

“

Proposed Charter Amendment: Fast Track Affordable Housing to Build More Affordable Housing Across the City Fast track publicly financed affordable housing. Fast track applications delivering affordable housing in the community districts that produce the least affordable housing, significantly reducing review time. Maintain Community Board review. “Yes” fast tracks applications at the Board of Standards and Appeals or City Planning Commission. “No” leaves affordable housing subject to longer review and final decision at City Council.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• Gov. Kathy Hochul (D)

Organizations

• Citizens Budget Commission
• Open New York

Arguments

• New York City Charter Revision Commission: "In the bottom 12 neighborhoods that have built the least affordable housing, applications that will deliver permanently affordable housing would have access to the fast track. This fast track would include the same 60-day opportunity for Community Board review as exists today, including the extended time for applications that come over the summer. To speed review, the Borough President’s advisory review period would run concurrent with the Community Board. Following the Community Board and Borough President, the review process would conclude with the final vote by the City Planning Commission, rather than the City Council. From start to finish, this process would be twice as fast as the existing process helping to ensure more affordable housing across the city."
• Citizens Budget Commission: "The Affordable Housing Fast Track would speed up production in the 12 Community Districts that permitted the least affordable housing over the preceding five years. Property owners in these neighborhoods would be able to apply for streamlined rezonings for projects that provide affordable housing under the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. The expedited process would have 60-day concurrent advisory reviews by the Community Board and Borough President, followed by a binding vote of the City Planning Commission (CPC), which would have 30 days to act. The Affordable Housing Fast Track would help ensure that all city neighborhoods meaningfully contribute to solving the housing crisis. This crisis is a citywide issue, but for too long some neighborhoods have been allowed to opt out of growth. New housing development has been concentrated in just a few neighborhoods. The Affordable Housing Fast Track could meaningfully boost production in neighborhoods that currently produce new housing at some of the slowest rates in the country."
• Gov. Kathy Hochul (D): "Affordability is my number one priority, and that starts with housing. The cost of living is too damn high – especially when it comes to the sky-high rents and mortgages families pay every month. The only solution to New York’s housing crisis is to build more housing, and we must use every tool in the toolbox to get it done. Props 2-5 will help ensure New Yorkers can live, thrive, and raise their families in the city they call home. It’s time to say yes to more homes, lower costs, and a stronger future for New York families."

Opposition

Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for New York ballot measures

Ballotpedia did not identify ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP)

New York City's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) is the formal review process for major land use changes. It was established in the City Charter in 1975 to standardize and democratize how rezonings, site selections, and other significant land-use actions are decided. ULURP governed changes such as large rezonings, dispositions of city-owned land, certain affordable housing developments, and certain infrastructure projects.

Once an application is approved by the Department of City Planning, it would go through a seven-month period of review. First, the Community Board has 60 days to hold a hearing and issue an advisory recommendation. Next, the Borough President has 30 days to advise the decision. The City Planning Commission then has 60 days to vote on whether to approve, modify, or deny the application. If it passes, the City Council has up to 50 days to consider it. The Mayor can veto a Council approval, although the Council may override that veto with a two-thirds vote.

Housing production in New York City

According to the Charter Revision Commission report published in July 2025, 25,000 homes were built in New York City each year, but that this was half of what the city needed. The Commission estimated that "over the next ten years, the city is about 500,000 homes short of a healthy housing market, where costs are stable, families and individuals have options, and the city and its economy have room to grow and change over time." The Commission also noted that the building of housing is uneven, with 12 community districts adding as much housing as 47 combined.

Path to the ballot

This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the New York City Charter Revision Commission.

How to cast a vote

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How to vote in New York

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Registration

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Online registration

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Same-day registration

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Verification of citizenship

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Verifying your registration

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Voter ID requirements

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These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Voters can present the following forms of identification:

• A current, valid photo ID
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See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2025
• Local charter amendments on the ballot

New York

• New York 2025 local measures
• Local ballot measures, New York
• New York, New York

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas