Mayor Tim Keller, City of Albuquerque | City of Albuquerque
The Albuquerque City Council recently passed Resolution 24-22, establishing a two-year policy to prioritize site plan approvals and construction permitting for specific development projects. These projects aim to create permanent housing near Downtown, Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas, and various city centers and corridors.
To assist community members in identifying qualifying addresses, the City of Albuquerque’s Planning Department has developed an online tool named “Fast Housing.” Currently, the procedure for site plan approvals and construction permitting operates on a "first come, first served" basis, resulting in variable wait times depending on workload and staff capacity. The Planning Department also offers an optional fee-based program called “FasTrax” to expedite plan reviews with guaranteed completion dates.
With the introduction of Fast Housing, new qualifying housing projects can be identified and expedited through the FasTrax program without incurring fees. Fast Housing locations include areas within ¼ mile of Downtown, Urban Centers, Employment Centers, Activity Centers, Premium Transit Corridors, Main Street Corridors, Major Transit Corridors, Multi-modal Corridors, and the city's Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas.
“The new Fast Housing tool will help people quickly and easily identify addresses that qualify for expedited approval,” said Planning Department Director Alan Varela. “It is possible that applicants who submit complete and accurate applications can receive their Site Plan approval and building permit within days instead of weeks or months. We are going to continue doing everything we can to help spur development that will increase Albuquerque’s housing stock.”
In response to Albuquerque's current housing supply crisis last year, Mayor Tim Keller launched an emergency initiative called “Housing Forward” to enhance access to new housing in the local market.
“Now is the time to embrace innovative, forward-thinking ideas to confront the housing crisis,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Prioritizing development that increases options for Albuquerque families to live and stay in this city is a key part of our housing strategy.”
The Fast Housing tool is available on the City’s website at cabq.gov/fasthousing
