The City of Yes' Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) is New York City’s new optional affordable housing incentive program that replaces the former Voluntary Inclusionary Housing (VIH) program. UAP expands affordability requirements citywide by providing a bonus Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in exchange for permanently affordable housing, streamlining development while ensuring deeper income-targeted affordability.

Under UAP, eligible development sites across residential zoning districts R6 through R12 receive a bonus above base (standard) FAR — making it easier for builders to add density while delivering permanently affordable units. Essentially, R6-R12 zonings and their commercial equivalents will have two max residential FAR's, one for standard and the other with a bonus if affordable housing is included.

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How UAP Works

• Replaces VIH: UAP supersedes the Voluntary Inclusionary Housing program, making affordability requirements mandatory for qualifying projects seeking bonus FAR.

• Citywide FAR Bonus: In eligible zones (R6–R12), developers can increase the FAR beyond the base (standard) allowance if they provide permanently affordable housing.

• Permanent Affordability: All bonus floor area must be set aside as permanently affordable housing for residents earning at or below a weighted average of 60% of Area Median Income (AMI).

• Income Bands: No individual income band within a UAP project can exceed 100% AMI.

• Deep Affordability Thresholds: On larger projects — if a UAP site provides 10,000 square feet or more of Affordable Floor Area (AFA) — at least **20% of the AFA must be affordable to households at or below 40% AMI.

 

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UAP Example: R6 Narrow Street Zoning

In an R6 district along a narrow street:

• The standard base FAR is 2.2.

• With UAP bonus entitlements, the FAR can increase up to 3.9.

• This represents a 1.7 FAR increase above the base.

• All of that 1.7 bonus FAR must be provided as permanently affordable units for households at or below the weighted average of 60% AMI, with no band above 100% AMI.

• On larger sites (≥10,000 sq ft of affordable area), at least 20% of the affordable floor area must be targeted to 40% AMI households.

 

Housing Types & Flexibility

UAP units may be provided as rental apartments or homeownership units, including condominiums, offering flexibility for developers and broader housing options for residents.

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Mandatory Inclusionary Housing ( MIH ) Implications

When an area is mapped with Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) zoning — typically through a private or City-initiated rezoning such as the One Long Island City Plan, Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, or East New York Neighborhood Plan — new residential development becomes subject to mandatory affordable housing requirements.

Under MIH rules, any new residential project with more than 10 dwelling units and over 12,500 square feet of residential floor area must provide permanently affordable housing. The required affordability levels are determined by the specific MIH option assigned to that rezoning area.

For sites subject to MIH, the maximum permitted FAR for residential development will align with the FAR allowed under the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) for that zoning district.