New York City's Affordable Housing Bill Falls Short of Support, Dies in Council Vote
A bill championed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani that aimed to preserve thousands of apartments as affordable units has been defeated in the New York City Council. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act would give nonprofits and some private developers first dibs on distressed apartment buildings.
The measure had already won City Council passage in December but failed to secure the 34 votes needed to override former Mayor Eric Adams' veto. The last-ditch effort for the bill's proponents came when supporters were trying to cobble together the necessary 34 votes, only to be met with falling short.
According to senior spokesperson Dora Pekec for Mamdani, the mayor was making calls to Council Members reiterating his support for the legislation and asking for their support of an override. However, it seems that this effort did not pay off as Speaker Julie Menin abstained when the City Council approved COPA in December.
Menin's stance on the bill has been unclear, but Lobel stated that the council would only move to override bills with a supermajority of support. Backers of the legislation have argued that COPA would allow organizations and housing developers to bid on buildings with serious housing code violations or expiring affordability agreements for up to three and a half months before they hit the open market.
The measure's opponents, including real estate industry groups, claim it will increase red tape and ultimately reduce the housing supply. They argue that it would affect just 1% of housing transactions but still impact many thousands of apartments.
Councilmember Sandra Nurse stated that her Progressive Caucus is not backing down despite the failure to pass COPA, saying "The bottom line is this: if we do not have stronger protections to keep working class New Yorkers here, they will continue to leave." Will Spisak from New Economy Project also expressed concerns over gentrifying communities of color and the need for a comprehensive preservation strategy.
However, with just 32 councilmembers now backing the measure, similar to the vote total in December when the bill was adopted in a 31-10 vote, it seems that COPA has fallen short. This bill's defeat is another setback in New York City's ongoing efforts to address its housing crisis.
A bill championed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani that aimed to preserve thousands of apartments as affordable units has been defeated in the New York City Council. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act would give nonprofits and some private developers first dibs on distressed apartment buildings.
The measure had already won City Council passage in December but failed to secure the 34 votes needed to override former Mayor Eric Adams' veto. The last-ditch effort for the bill's proponents came when supporters were trying to cobble together the necessary 34 votes, only to be met with falling short.
According to senior spokesperson Dora Pekec for Mamdani, the mayor was making calls to Council Members reiterating his support for the legislation and asking for their support of an override. However, it seems that this effort did not pay off as Speaker Julie Menin abstained when the City Council approved COPA in December.
Menin's stance on the bill has been unclear, but Lobel stated that the council would only move to override bills with a supermajority of support. Backers of the legislation have argued that COPA would allow organizations and housing developers to bid on buildings with serious housing code violations or expiring affordability agreements for up to three and a half months before they hit the open market.
The measure's opponents, including real estate industry groups, claim it will increase red tape and ultimately reduce the housing supply. They argue that it would affect just 1% of housing transactions but still impact many thousands of apartments.
Councilmember Sandra Nurse stated that her Progressive Caucus is not backing down despite the failure to pass COPA, saying "The bottom line is this: if we do not have stronger protections to keep working class New Yorkers here, they will continue to leave." Will Spisak from New Economy Project also expressed concerns over gentrifying communities of color and the need for a comprehensive preservation strategy.
However, with just 32 councilmembers now backing the measure, similar to the vote total in December when the bill was adopted in a 31-10 vote, it seems that COPA has fallen short. This bill's defeat is another setback in New York City's ongoing efforts to address its housing crisis.
. I mean, how can we expect people to afford living in NYC if we're not doing something to keep prices down? It seems like the city council just isn't willing to take a stand on this issue. I've been trying to buy an apartment for ages, and I know I'm not alone - there are so many of us who just can't get a foothold in the market.
. It's like they're more worried about making a buck than helping people. And what's with the 1% figure that the opponents are using? Yeah, it might only affect a small percentage of transactions, but at the end of the day, it's still thousands of apartments that could be lost to gentrification.
. I know there are some council members who genuinely care about affordable housing, and they'll keep pushing for change. We just need to keep showing up and making our voices heard 
.
like a hot knife through butter. 32 votes isn't exactly a supermajority, is it? councilmembers playin' politics over people... meanwhile, working class new Yorkers are still gonna have to fight tooth and nail for their homes. gotta wonder what's the real agenda here... 
i mean idk what happened but it feels like nyc is just passing bills left and right only to have them fail 
like didnt the mayor make calls to all the council members? 
why did speaker julie menin not support it at first tho? 
and 1% of housing transactions sounds like a lot more than i thought 
maybe its just another example of how hard it is to balance progress with gentrification concerns 
️. I mean, we need this kind of legislation now more than ever, considering the rising cost of living and gentrification issues in many communities 
The fact that it only needed 34 votes to pass but couldn't get enough support for an override is just wild 
. I hope Councilmembers Sandra Nurse and Will Spisak keep pushing for stronger protections, because the working class needs a voice right now! 
. I mean, what's the point of even having a city council if you can't pass a simple affordable housing bill? It's like they're intentionally trying to make it impossible for people to afford a place to live. And now we get to reap the benefits of gentrification, where wealthy developers get to swoop in and chase out long-time residents. Like, come on Councilmember Sandra, "stronger protections" is code for "we can't do anything about it". 
the NYC Council just didn't get behind this affordable housing bill 
councilmember nurse is all like "if we dont protect working class ppl they'll jus leave" and i gotta say i got her back 
NYC needs more affordable units like ASAP!!! Mayor Zohran Mamdani was tryin 2 do somethin right, but council members just didnt budge 
for speakin out 4 the working class ppl who r gettin priced out of their own city 
but idk wut's next 
can we pls jus get a comprehensive preservation strategy already?! 
! They tried so hard, and we gotta give 'em credit for even having the bill in the first place 
. Now's the time for them to get back together and try again... maybe with some tweaks or new ideas 
. The fact that 32 councilmembers are still on board is a good starting point 
. We should all be talking about what can be done to make it work, not just criticizing 
. Let's keep pushing for solutions that help our most vulnerable neighbors 
!