More than two years after Newton approved its Village Center Overlay District, the city's new zoning is beginning to produce results.

As of June, 18 housing projects totaling about 143 homes have been proposed under the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD), according to Newton for Everyone, citing the city's development tracker. More than half use the district's Multi-Residence Transition option, which allows homeowners to convert or expand existing houses into multiple units while preserving much of the original home.

That's a noticeable jump from just a few months earlier.

In February, city officials said only about nine new units had actually been built, prompting former City Councilor Deb Crossley to describe progress as "really slow."

Even so, planners say the pace reflects a difficult housing market. High interest rates have stalled many market-rate apartment projects across Greater Boston, while affordable housing developments have continued to move forward.

The biggest project in the pipeline is a 56-unit affordable apartment building at 793 Washington St. in Newtonville, proposed by Beacon Communities. Because it complies with VCOD rules, it can move forward without a special permit from the City Council. Construction could begin in 2027, though the project is still seeking more than $25 million in state and federal tax-credit funding.

The VCOD, approved in 2023, covers seven village centers near transit, including Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, West Newton and Newtonville. Instead of focusing primarily on housing density, the zoning emphasizes building size, height and design to encourage smaller multifamily housing that blends into existing neighborhoods.

Planning consultant Tim Love of Utile, the firm that helped design the zoning, said decades of overlapping regulations have made it easier to build oversized single-family homes than modest multifamily housing.

The City Council continues to monitor how the zoning is working. Councilors have requested regular progress updates and are already discussing whether changes are needed to encourage additional housing options between small four-unit projects and larger apartment buildings.