City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Updates R1-2 and R2 Zones in The Bronx

The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan took effect in 2024 and changed baseline rules for R1-2 and R2 zones across the Bronx. These districts now permit two-family houses plus one accessory dwelling unit, replacing prior one-family limits. The change applies to residence districts that form part of the citywide Zoning Resolution of 14 Articles, 11 Appendices and 126 Zoning Maps.

Residence districts R1 through R12 cover about 75 percent of the Bronx’s zoned land. Permitted density and building height increase with the numeric suffix. The 2024 adjustments therefore expand the number of parcels where modest multi-unit construction is allowed without separate rezoning applications.

Lower Density Growth Management Area rules remain in place

Bronx Community District 10 continues to operate under Lower Density Growth Management Area designation. This status carries special parking requirements and restricts certain medical and day-care facilities that would otherwise be permitted in low-density residential zones. Residents in that district therefore see the three-unit allowance layered on top of existing LDGMA controls rather than replacing them.

Proposed zoning map and text amendments near the planned Metro-North stations at Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest would add capacity for nearly 7,500 new housing units, of which 1,900 are designated permanently affordable. The amendments remain under review and have not yet been adopted.

Implications for daily housing access

Households seeking additional rental income or multi-generational living arrangements can now pursue two-family homes with an ADU on qualifying R1-2 and R2 lots. The same parcels remain subject to the overall Zoning Resolution’s land-use and bulk rules that apply borough-wide. In Community District 10, parking minimums and facility limits continue to shape what can be built even after the three-unit change.

Any new units constructed near the Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest stations would be governed by the same citywide resolution once the map and text amendments are decided. The city’s planning documents list the expected unit totals but do not specify construction timelines beyond the proposal stage.