Categories: New York City
06.27.2017
Visit the HUB webpage.
Opening a supportive housing residence entails navigating a maze of government agencies and processes. Many developers know the experience of holding their breath until they receive a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) from the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) while the clock ticks on a deadline set by investors. The good news: DOB has instituted changes to speed up review and inspection timelines.
In 2011, DOB launched the HUB, a review center designed to use technology to speed approvals, reduce office visits, and cut paper use. The Network recommends that, whenever possible, all supportive housing developers in New York City file their plans with the HUB instead of the DOB borough offices. In order to utilize the HUB, you must be a registered eFiling user and your computer must meet certain specifications. For further information, visit the HUB webpage.
DOB has also recently launched an Affordable Housing Unit (Unit), to expedite affordable and supportive housing projects and help achieve the ambitious goals of the Mayor’s Housing New York plan. In close coordination with NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and other agencies, the Unit will identify affordable and supportive housing projects and work toward the following benchmarks:
- Completion of first plan review within seven days of filing.
- Availability of subsequent plan review within seven days of request.
- Development inspections (construction, electrical, and plumbing) within three days of request.
- Boiler and elevator inspections within five days of request.
To further expedite processing, the Affordable Housing Unit recommends that all correspondence about a project refer to the DOB job number and, before filing, the building block and lot numbers. Different agencies can have different building addresses on file for the same project, causing confusion and delay.
Please feel free to reach out to the Network with DOB issues and we will work with your organization to facilitate a resolution.