SEQRA Reform Will Allow Westchester to More Easily Build the Housing We Need
(January 15, 2025) Governor Kathy Hochul’s new “Let Them Build” agenda calls for a series of reforms to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) with the intent to allow projects that will not harm the environment to move forward faster. Welcome Home Westchester applauds this section of the 2026 State of the State, recognizing the importance of having environmental review measures in place for building projects, while also acknowledging the need to update the process.
As Welcome Home Westchester and many localities have asserted, housing projects are often significantly delayed by the current SEQRA process. According to an analysis by Empire State Development, these projects can take up to 56% longer in New York compared to peer states. State-mandated environmental review adds an average of two years to the housing project review process – a timeline Westchester County cannot afford with an existing shortfall of 21,000 units already.
Gov. Hochul calls for more accountability and a streamlining for the current review process, imposing a two-year maximum deadline for completion of a SEQRA environmental impact statement from a positive declaration; a reform Welcome Home Westchester has been advocating for locally. Additionally, new ‘Generic Environmental Impact Statements’ (GEIS) will be used for select types of renewable energy and housing projects, while a new ‘Smart Access’ platform will consolidate applications and a new Office of Performance Management and Innovation (OPMI) will monitor the status of permits and environmental reviews.
The “Let Them Build” Agenda proposes that SEQRA’s classifications will be adjusted to include a fast-track environmental process for qualifying projects including:
- Critical water infrastructure projects that avoid impacts to natural resources
- Green infrastructure: nature-based stormwater management
- Parks and trails: public parks and recreational bike/pedestrian paths on previously-disturbed land
- Childcare: new or renovated childcare centers on previously-disturbed land
Hochul would also direct the New York Power Authority and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to update regulations to speed up the deployment of clean energy products. All local zoning requirements and environmental standards of other state permits would remain in place.
Members of Welcome Home Westchester partner organizations showed their support for the Governor’s proposal.
Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said, “Reforms to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) will help fast-track the smart, sustainable infrastructure our region needs, and we commend Governor Kathy Hochul for her bold leadership in taking on this long-overdue work. For over one hundred years, RPA has focused on one core mission: improving quality of life across the tri-state region by advancing solutions that lead to economic vitality, environmental resilience, and healthy, thriving communities. SEQR modernization will greenlight the housing, energy, and transit investments New Yorkers support, and that our region needs to remain competitive, equitable, and resilient.”
Westchester County Association President & CEO Michael N. Romita said, “Governor Hochul’s SEQRA reforms are a very important step toward addressing the state’s critical housing shortage. Notwithstanding its noble underpinnings, over the past half century, SEQRA has become increasingly abused by overuse and modernization is overdue. These reforms do not override local control, and they don’t require communities to change their zoning. Rather, they empower local officials to meet today’s needs.”
The Building & Realty Institute of Westchester & the Mid-Hudson Region CEO and Executive Vice President Tim Foley said, “We know that good housing policy and good climate policy go hand in hand, and that well-designed, energy-efficient infill housing that repurposes already-developed sites can help solve our housing shortage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. Too often the very projects that would be a net benefit for the environment and the community get ensnared in lengthy, unpredictable, and costly environmental reviews and challenges. We applaud Governor Hochul’s leadership in proposing a way to clear these logjams and create incentives for the kind of mildly-dense, sustainably-built housing we need to secure an affordable New York for all who wish to live and work here.”
Westchester mayors also weighed, including Chance Mullen, who serves as Housing Action Council Executive Director and Village of Pelham Mayor: “Local leaders have been calling for SEQRA reform for years, and it’s encouraging to see Governor Hochul listening. I’m cautiously optimistic this proposal can help communities deliver the housing our residents need while cutting unnecessary red tape. Making it easier to build homes is essential to easing costs for everyday New Yorkers and meeting the needs of our constituents.”
City of New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert said, “Local governments are on the front lines of delivering housing, infrastructure, and community improvements, and lengthy, duplicative review processes can slow down projects residents are counting on. Governor Hochul’s proposal to modernize SEQRA recognizes the need to protect our environment while also making it easier for communities to move forward responsibly. By reducing unnecessary delays and improving coordination, these reforms will help lower costs, increase transparency, and allow municipalities like ours to plan and build more effectively. I appreciate the Governor’s leadership in advancing thoughtful reforms that support sustainable growth and stronger, more resilient communities.”
City of Peekskill Mayor Vivian C. McKenzie said, “For local governments, time matters. Governor Hochul’s proposal to modernize SEQRA is about cutting through unnecessary delays so communities can move forward on housing, infrastructure, and quality-of-life projects residents have been waiting for. These reforms respect environmental protections while giving cities and towns the tools we need to plan, build, and grow responsibly. I appreciate the Governor’s leadership in recognizing that smart reform can strengthen both our environment and our local economies.”