New York City ’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development has launched a competition to develop affordable housing on 23 of its more difficult plots of land . Some in the community are apprehensive, as they have seen city-subsidized developments, on larger lots, that they believe neglected the needs of longtime residents, said Paula Z. Segal, a senior staff attorney for the Community Development Project's Equitable Neighborhoods practice. Problems including building codes and spaces left in zoning decisions have made the land undesirable for developers , with some of the land empty for several years . The competition , launched in partnership with the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects , aims to develop lots with areas as low as 1,008 sq ft and as narrow as 13 ft . Potential residents say they are wary about the affordability of the resulting homes .
New York City ’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development has launched a competition to develop affordable housing on 23 of its more difficult plots of land . Problems including building codes and spaces left in zoning decisions have made the land undesirable for developers , with some of the land empty for several years . The competition , launched in partnership with the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects , aims to develop lots with areas as low as 1,008 sq ft and as narrow as 13 ft . Potential residents say they are wary about the affordability of the resulting homes .