New York City is planning to use modular construction to build affordable housing, according to a report from Curbed.
Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen told the Real Deal that the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development will seek partners to build low-income and senior housing using modular construction.
The move to modular is part of the De Blasio administration’s larger Housing New York 2.0 plan, which was unveiled at the end of 2017. Per the plan, the city believes that modular construction can “significantly reduce development time and cost,” thus making it easier to build affordable housing faster and cheaper. They’re hoping to achieve this in a few ways, including creating smaller micro apartments, a la Carmel Place, and multi-family buildings, according to the report.
The Department of Housing Development and Preservation is going to issue a request for information and interest in building modular housing for low-income tenants and seniors.
Glen said that NYC aims to “crack the code” on mid-rise multifamily development, in the hopes this will be “a new chapter for modular.” She said: “One thing we’ve learned is don’t try to do high rise. That’s a nut we’ll crack later.”
