New Tools to Help Turn Backyards into Homes

For the first time since 2024, homeowners can access the reopened Plus One ADU program and the new “ADU for You” toolkit, which includes a guidebook and resources to help them plan and build Ancillary Dwelling Units

New York City’s Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Department of Buildings (DOB) unveiled new tools to increase housing supply in low-density neighborhoods across the five boroughs, including the City’s “ADU for You”  website and, in partnership with Restored Homes HDFC, the reopening of the Plus One ADU program  for the first time since its initial 2024 intake and the adoption of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. Together, these efforts build on the Mamdani administration’s work to make it easier to build housing across the five boroughs.

New Tools for Homeowners

The city’s newly unveiled resources make it easier than ever for homeowners to plan, finance, and build an Ancillary Dwelling Unit (ADU), sometimes called an Accessory Dwelling Unit, on their property. The Plus One ADU program is reopening in partnership with Restored Homes HDFC, offering up to $395,000 in combined financing through NYC HPD and NYS HCR for qualified homeowners to build ADUs.

The “ADU for You” toolkit provides a comprehensive guidebook and online resources to help homeowners understand, plan, and build ADUs, which can provide extra income, house a family member, or help older New Yorkers age in place. The platform also includes a Pre-Approved Plan Library (PAPL) and site feasibility and cost-estimating tools to streamline design and project planning.

The PAPL is a key feature of the toolkit, offering a collection of ready-to-build ADU plan designs that have already been reviewed and generically approved by the City’s Department of Buildings (DOB) for compliance with city code. It is now available to the public with nine pre-approved plan designs for detached backyard cottages. Homeowners who select a PAPL design will be connected with the Registered Design Professional (RDP) who created it, allowing them to work together on the project. While homeowners can still work with a design professional on a unique ADU design to fit their lot, choosing a pre-approved design simplifies the permit approval process.

Additional designs will be regularly added to the PAPL as more ADU submissions from design professionals are reviewed and approved by DOB.

NYC’s Ancillary Dwelling Units:  

ADUs were officially approved in New York City in December 2024 as part of the city’s efforts to expand housing options in low-density neighborhoods through the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. The policy allows homeowners to create small, self-contained living spaces on their property, including backyard cottages, basement apartments, attic conversions, and garage studios, while meeting safety and zoning requirements.

The first round of applications for the Plus One ADU program saw overwhelming interest, receiving over 1,300 submissions within two weeks of intake opening before closing in February 2024, demonstrating strong demand for ADUs across the city. ADUs provide opportunities for New York City residents to generate rental income, support intergenerational living, and aging in place, and programs like the Plus One ADU initiative and pre-approved designs help streamline permitting and financing, accelerating adoption across the five boroughs.

Limited funding is available, and opportunities to submit interest for financing will reopen on the program webpage through Friday, June 12, 2026.