Mayor Michael Bloomberg hailed the city?s New Housing Marketplace Plan Tuesday as the affordable housing project hit its midway point.

The city has funded 82,000 apartments through what is the nation?s largest affordable housing plan. Upon completion, the city is projected to build 165,000 affordable units through the New Housing Marketplace Plan.

Mayor Bloomberg estimates those units will house more than half a million New Yorkers.

?One of the great challenges we face is there?s not enough housing ? we want to do everything we can to keep people from getting priced out of the market,? says the mayor.