ALBANY, NY (June 7, 2026) — Governor Kathy Hochul signed a significant component of her FY27 budget today, introducing the ‘Let Them Build’ agenda aimed at cutting red tape and expediting housing and infrastructure projects across New York State.
The new legislation includes major reforms to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), modernizing it to accelerate projects without significant environmental impacts. ‘Red tape and duplicative reviews have stopped New York from doing the very building that made us the envy of the world, making our housing more expensive and our infrastructure outdated—that ends today,’ said Hochul.
Streamlining Housing Development
The budget provides exemptions from duplicative environmental reviews, accelerating housing projects that meet specific criteria. In New York City, this includes developments up to 250 units citywide and 500 units in medium and high-density areas. Urbanized areas outside the city can build up to 300 units, while non-urbanized areas can build up to 100 units.
Infrastructure Enhancements
Further SEQRA exemptions apply to critical infrastructure projects such as clean water systems, green infrastructure, parks, trails, and public schools within New York City.
This legislation sets a two-year timeline for completing environmental impact statements, reducing unpredictability and potentially significant delays.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
Have information about this story? Email robertcox@talkofthesound (preferred) or contact via WhatsApp: +353 089 972 0669.