The Real Estate Board of New York to The Committee on Technology: Oversight - Improving Accountability and Transparency through Technology

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The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) is the City’s leading real estate trade association representing commercial, residential, and institutional property owners, builders, managers, investors, brokers, salespeople, and other organizations and individuals active in New York City real estate. REBNY thanks the Committee on Technology for the opportunity to voice support regarding Int.0362-2024.

Bill-specific feedback is as follows:

Int. 0372-2024: Establishing timelines for the approval of permits and expanding real time tracking of pending permits.

Subject: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing timelines for the approval of permits and expanding real time tracking of pending permits.

Sponsors: Council Members Keith Powers, Lincoln Restler, Linda Lee, Lynn Schulman, and Farah Louis.

This local law would require that city agencies that issue permits or licenses establish publicly available timelines for approving permits, tools for tracking the real-time status of permit applications, and would also require that the administration establish steps for accountability if timelines are not adequately met.

The current multi-agency permitting process remains one of the most significant challenges to delivering new housing and economic development projects across the five boroughs. Even for projects that are as-of-right under zoning, the process of securing permits from multiple City agencies—such as the Department of Buildings (DOB), Fire Department (FDNY), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), Public Design Commission (PDC), and Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)—can be unpredictable, duplicative, and time-consuming.

Each of these agencies has its own permitting authority, with different pathways for filing, review, and issuance. Some agencies have established review timeframes, but those deadlines are often insufficient to meet time-sensitive benchmarks such as financing closings. The resulting delays add uncertainty and increase project costs, all of which negatively impact housing supply, affordability, and economic opportunity.

The length of time between a project’s conception and a tenant’s move-in date is often driven less by construction timelines than by regulatory bottlenecks. These delays are further exacerbated by the discretionary environmental and land use processes, which are lengthy, complex, and costly. For developers, such delays play a major role in the “build or not build” decision calculus. Without predictable timelines and coordinated agency approvals, it becomes difficult—if not impossible—to secure necessary financing and move forward with construction.

Intro. 372 addresses these challenges head-on. By establishing transparent timelines and creating a centralized, real-time tracking system for permit status, these bills will enhance accountability across agencies and help applicants navigate the permitting process more efficiently. Importantly, the establishment of a comprehensive tracking database and the agency coordination it entails will also require thoughtful rulemaking and sufficient implementation time.

We do wish to flag what appears to be a likely typographical error in the legislation. The bill currently states that all systems must be operational by 2023. Given that we are now in 2025, we urge the Council and City Hall to ensure that operational timelines are realistic and account for the necessary agency coordination and resource planning required to make this reform successful.

We applaud the Council for taking meaningful steps toward streamlining the City’s permitting process and urge the swift passage of this bill. Thank you for your leadership and for the opportunity to provide comments.