Senior Environmental Planner (Plus One ADU Program) for the Division of Building and Land Development Services

Job Description

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

- We maintain building and resident safety and health
- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.________________________________________

Your Team:

The Division of Building and Land Development Services (BLDS) leads the agency’s effort in providing architectural, engineering, cost valuation, environmental planning, and construction support services to the various divisions within HPD’s Office of Development. The Office of Development utilizes a public-private partnership model and provides loans, grants and/or incentives to assist in the finance of housing development projects that will benefit low- and moderate-income New Yorkers.

BLDS is the largest division within the Office of Development with over 120 staff composed of seven units which include: the Bureau of New Construction Design Review Services, the Bureau of Preservation Design Review Services, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Construction Services, Environmental Planning Unit, the Policy Unit, and the Program Management Unit.

Your Impact:

As Senior Environmental Planner for BLDS, you will work on supporting the Agency’s work on the development of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU), primarily through the Plus One ADU Program (Plus One). Plus One combines low- or no-interest capital loans and construction financing grants provided by HPD and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal for eligible homeowners of one-to-two-unit homes to build or convert an ADU on their property. The Environmental Planning Unit focuses on developing and implementing a framework to identify critical milestones of the project life cycle to assure on-time and on-budget completion of affordable housing projects with various new construction and preservation projects that are in both the design and post-construction phases.

Your Role:

The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor, or Graduate Degree in Urban or Environmental Planning, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science are strongly preferred. S/he should be able to negotiate with diverse technical specialists and apply sound judgment in technical matters.


Your Responsibilities:

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to prepare and review federal environmental assessments, pursuant to the regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), with particular focus on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) environmental reviews for the Plus One ADU Program;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to prepare CEQR applications and analyses, including Environmental Assessment Statements, for the Plus One ADU Program;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to provide oversight and technical assistance to staff to ensure compliance with environmental determinations, for the Plus One ADU Program;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to provide day-to-day project management on environmental reviews and work efficiently to meet project deadlines;

- Assist the Deputy Director and Director to work with other agency staff and applicants to provide technical assistance in the preparation, review, and submission of applications;

- Coordinate inter- and intra-agency technical reviews, review and analyze environmental applications and prepare environmental determinations and other forms of correspondence;

- Represent the agency at intra- and inter-agency committee meetings and public forums.

Preferred skills

1. Highly organized, demonstrate the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines, and possess excellent communication and computer skills.
2. Excellent writing and analyti