Hochul moves to reform environmental law to speed up housing construction
Credit: Susan Watts/Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul on Flickr
To accelerate housing development across the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed a series of reforms to New York’s environmental laws, which have delayed new projects for years. During an event with several elected officials on Tuesday, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the governor unveiled “common sense” reforms to the state’s Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), as well as executive actions to accelerate critical projects that, while not posing significant environmental impacts, have been caught in red tape and delays. The reforms also seek to cut bureaucratic hurdles for infrastructure projects, including clean water, green infrastructure, and parks, which are frequently slowed down by lengthy environmental review processes.
“For far too long needless, outdated red tape has stood in the way of the housing and infrastructure that New Yorkers need to address the housing crisis and make life more affordable in communities across our state,” Hochul said.
“New York is a place defined by our boundless ambition—we are a state that builds. It is time that we cut the red tape that too often slows down projects and let communities build, so we can offer all New Yorkers the more affordable and livable state that they deserve and attract new residents who want to call New York home.”
According to Hochul, manufacturing, housing, and energy projects in NY can take up to 56 percent longer to move from concept to groundbreaking compared with other states. These extended timelines drive up costs, a significant obstacle amid the state’s housing crisis, where speeding up construction and reducing expenses are essential to meeting demand.
Red tape can increase the cost of building a single housing unit by up to $82,000, while also delaying critical investments in clean water infrastructure, child care centers, and parks, according to a press release.
To address these delays, Hochul has proposed amending SEQRA to exempt certain housing projects with no significant environmental impacts from additional review. Exempted projects would still be required to comply with essential state regulations and permit requirements related to water use, air quality, environmental justice, and the protection of natural resources.
Additionally, the proposal would not override local zoning or other permitting requirements, and exempted housing must be located outside flood-prone areas to qualify.
To accelerate the process, Hochul has proposed setting clear timelines for environmental impact statements, streamlining reviews to reduce delays, modernizing the state’s permitting process to save time and money, expediting major infrastructure projects, and supporting local communities through a new permitting academy.
During a Tuesday press conference, Hochul said the reforms could accelerate the production of up to 500 new housing units in medium- and high-density areas across all five boroughs.
Mamdani joined Hochul on Tuesday, along with the city’s borough presidents and other officials, to celebrate the proposal. He highlighted a major obstacle posed by existing bureaucratic hurdles: environmental review for a new apartment building can take up to two years to complete.
“This is a city that moves a mile a minute; things change overnight,” Mamdani said. “But it takes 730 nights just to get an affordable housing project reviewed. This glacial pace takes a toll on our city and the people who call it home.”
Mamdani continued, saying the measures proposed by Hochul could cut the two-year review process by 75 percent, reducing it to just six months. He emphasized the proposal’s potential to address the city’s housing crisis and help drive down costs.
“When we build more, not only can more people contribute to our city, but the rising cost of rents will also slow. When that happens, a decent life in NYC no longer feels out of reach for so many working people.”
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