New York, NY —

Bucking a national trend, the number of permits for constructing new residential buildings in the city more than doubled in June, compared to the same period last year. As WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports, developers trying to take advantage of a tax exemption program before it becomes more restrictive could be one reason for the spike.

REPORTER: The program, known as 421A, provided as much as 25 years worth of no-strings-attached tax breaks to builders. But a new rule dramatically increased the number neighborhoods where developers must now build some affordable housing to qualify for the benefit.

As of July 1 builders in Tribeca and Brooklyn Heights, for instance, will now have to make 20 percent of their housing for low income New Yorkers to get the tax break. According to the DOB, 575 permits were issued last month, compared to 266 in June of last year.

Some housing experts speculate developers pushed to get their permits ahead of the deadline for the new requirements. More stringent safety regulations also took effect this month, creating another possible incentive to obtain permits by the end of June. For WNYC, I'm Cindy Rodriguez.