The development of 84 affordable apartments in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx is the first project to get fast tracked under a new public review process.

What You Need To Know

An affordable housing project in the Bronx will be the first to undergo a faster public review process

Last year, voters approved faster public reviews of new housing

The new review process was shortened to three months, from seven months 

The $69 million development, called the PowerHouse Aparments, will get its public review expedited under a process that voters approved through a ballot referendum last year.

“We will use every tool in our arsenal to build housing more quickly,” Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy said.

The Mott Haven development is eligible for up to $31 million in city money. It’ll be built on a city-owned parking lot for a school next door and feature a community theater, workforce training center and outdoor green space.

Homeowner Philbert Jeffrey, who lives across the street, has a problem with project: 30 of the 84 apartments will be set aside for formerly homeless New Yorkers and have social services on site.

Jeffrey said the neighborhood already has plenty of social services.

“It’s all shelters and drug treatment centers,” he told NY1 of his neighborhood. “We’re getting more than our portion.”

To Jeffrey, putting the project on a fast track is like giving residents there the short shrift.

“Instead of fast tracking it, let’s take time and get hear what the neighbors say about it,” he said. 

Elsie Encarnacion, the new Democratic council member for the district, backs the project.  

“Our job is to make sure that support is steady and it benefits everybody in this community by having it here,” she said.

Ray Santiago, another homeowner across the street, said he plans to organize against it.

“We’ll see what we can do, get a little group together and go to wherever they’re holding the meetings,” he said.