NYC Council passes housing bills focused on affordability in final 2025 meeting

At their final meeting of the year, New York City Council members on Thursday passed a series of housing-related bills that would require the city to build more affordable housing for families and put local nonprofits first in line for building sales.

But a spokesperson for Mayor Adams, who can still use his veto until the end of the year, quickly signaled that the outgoing mayor intended to veto the measures, saying they would create red tape and lead to higher rents.

“These short-sighted bills will not only worsen the affordability crisis, but will also bag the new mayor and president,” Adams spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement, referring to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and new Council President Julie Menin.

“Irresponsible actions like these demonstrate the importance of Mayor Adams’ efforts to modernize the housing approval process,” Levy added. “Fortunately, Mayor Adams is serving until December 31.”

Before Thursday, Adams had not said publicly what his position was on the measures, but administration sources indicated he was opposed to them.

The housing bills that passed Thursday night after a marathon Council session would, among other provisions, require city-subsidized housing projects to contain minimum percentages of two- and three-bedrooms and affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households.

The vast majority of new housing built in New York is studio and one-bedroom units — although city officials have said this is appropriate, citing research that shows there is greater demand for affordable housing among single adults than among families.

Opponents of the bill, including the Adams Department of Housing Preservation and Development, argued it would stifle the city’s ability to build affordable housing by posing legislative hurdles, making it more expensive and time-consuming to build new units.

HPD estimated that if the bills took effect, they would cost $600 million a year and create thousands less housing units.

Mamdani and his allies, including Cea Weaver, a housing adviser on Mamdani’s transition team, have voiced opposition to the bills, putting the new mayor and Adams in an unusual alliance.

“The mayor-elect is concerned about this legislation, which risks making it more difficult to build housing at a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling to afford housing,” Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said in a statement. “He looks forward to working with the City Council to advance the affordability agenda and tackle the housing crisis head on.” »

Bronx City Councilman Eric Dinowitz, who authored one of the key bills, argued they would ensure families have a fair chance at finding affordable housing. Dinowitz, who is an ally of Menin, said that if Adams vetoed the legislation, he was prepared to fight it.

“If the mayor chooses to veto family housing legislation to correct the mistakes our city’s policy has made over the last decade, then we are prepared to fight that battle once we get there,” Dinowitz said at a news conference before the meeting.

In the event of a veto by Adams, the Council would have 30 days to attempt to override it. Outgoing Council President Adrienne Adams told reporters that the Council would not meet again this year to accommodate a waiver. That means it could not happen until next year, at the earliest, when Menin is expected to take over the presidency.

Menin did not immediately indicate whether she would be willing to override Adams’ veto.

Another controversial bill passed Thursday, the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA, would give local community groups and nonprofits a first chance to purchase certain buildings in their neighborhoods.

The buildings in question would be those that have accumulated serious housing code violations or are significantly behind in paying their property tax bills. Buildings benefiting from certain affordability-related tax allowances that are about to expire would also be prioritized for purchases from this category of buyers.

Supporters of the bill, introduced by City Council member Sandy Nurse, say it would help preserve affordable housing by preventing venture capitalists from being able to use their financial advantage to acquire distressed properties.

Signaling that the bill could have a good chance of becoming law, Mamdani, who takes office on Jan. 1, called for passage of the bill during the 2025 campaign.

But the real estate industry vehemently opposes the measure, fearing it could complicate the sales process, especially for smaller landlords.

Queens City Councilor Vickie Paladino, one of the Council’s most far-right Republicans, called the COPA bill “nonsense,” saying it’s counterintuitive that a landowner should first try to sell their property to a nonprofit if other buyers are already in line.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” she said.