NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani on Tuesday announced a new initiative aimed at accelerating the development of affordable housing on city-owned land, introducing a streamlined approval process intended to cut project timelines by more than two years.

The program, called the Neighborhood Builders Fast Track, will pre-qualify developers and shorten the request-for-proposals process by about eight months, officials said. The administration said the change will allow certain projects to move from planning to development more quickly, reducing delays tied to pre-construction approvals.

“Our city is facing a historic housing crisis — the last thing we need to do is tie ourselves in red tape,” Mamdani said. “We are moving at the speed of need to make this a city New Yorkers can continue to call home.”

Mayor Mamdani Holds Press Conference to Make an Affordable Housing Announcement https://t.co/4NmI5ZrpKL

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 25, 2026

Deputy Mayor Leila Bozorg and Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy joined Mamdani in announcing the plan, which is expected to be paired with a separate expedited land-use review process approved by voters in November.

City officials said the first phase of the program could produce as many as 300 affordable homes across three sites in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. Over the next two years, the administration expects the initiative to help advance development of up to 1,000 homes.

As part of the program, the city has released a request for qualifications for developers, with a focus on nonprofit organizations and minority- and women-owned firms. Pre-qualified teams will be eligible to participate in the fast-track process at designated sites, officials said.

Supporters of the plan said it will help address the city’s housing shortage by making better use of public land.

“New Yorkers need more affordable housing — built faster and at lower cost,” Levy said. “Public land is a public good, and we will not let city-owned sites sit idle.”

City officials also highlighted broader efforts by the administration to increase housing production, including newly established task forces aimed at identifying additional development sites and streamlining approval processes.

Community leaders and housing advocates praised the initiative, saying it could help deliver housing more quickly in neighborhoods facing rising rents and displacement pressures.

“New York’s housing crisis isn’t years away — it’s happening right now,” said Annemarie Gray, executive director of Open New York. “We need to use every tool available to speed the creation of new homes.”

The administration said it will continue working with local organizations and developers as it moves forward with additional housing projects across the city.