Shortly after winning reelection last fall, Mayor Bill DeBlasio upped his administration’s commitment to creating new affordable housing for New York City. Though there’s still a long way to go in order to hit the target of 300,000 new or preserved affordable units by 2026, new facts and figures for 2017 show that the mayor’s office is moving at a record-setting pace.

Last year, the city of New York financed 24,536 affordable (below market rate) homes, eclipsing the previous record of 23,100 set during Ed Koch’s tenure in 1989. Of those units, more than half of them were reserved for individuals making less than $33,400 per year, or for families of three earning less than $43,000 combined. 2017’s figures bring the total number of affordable apartments financed during de Blasio’s tenure to 87,557.

"Housing is the number one expense in New Yorkers' lives," de Blasio said in a statement. "We’re bringing that expense down by putting shovels in the ground and putting keys in tenants’ hands. There is more help than ever to fight eviction, freeze your rent, or find an affordable home—and we want New Yorkers to reach it."

In addition to financing 17,359 existing units and 7,177 new ones, New York City took additional steps last year to improve the experience of finding and living in affordable housing. During its last legislative session of the year, city council passed regulations that would help the department of Housing Preservation and Development identify vacant buildings that could be converted into affordable housing. HPD was also authorized to create an online record of landlord violations and tenant harassment, which should join the online resources related to freezing rents and fighting evictions available at the recently launched NYC housing portal.

While that record pace is admirable, it won’t by itself ensure that the de Blasio administration meets its goal of 300,000 affordable units, which some housing advocates criticized as insufficient when it was announced. Still, a statement from deputy mayor for housing and economic development Alicia Glen drives the point home that these efforts are starting to have a real impact: “Thousands more families will be able to live in the greatest city in the world, with real peace of mind."