HOW TO FIND YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
Co-ops and condos are comprised of and governed by homeowners who have invested heavily in New York City and have built up and stabilized countless neighborhoods. With New York now facing the potential loss of funding and federal programming, its homeowners have an important role to play, but that will only be possible with the City Council's help. While CNYC members generally align with their City Council members on policy goals, there is a consensus that we are at a tipping point due to recently enacted legislation, rules and regulations, and that more attention must be paid to the needs of co-op and condo constituents.
CNYC has two new advocacy programs:
- An ongoing "Coop and Condo Legislative Scorecard" that will highlight bills with the potential to impact co-op and condo homeowners and indicate which city council members have voted for/are sponsoring those bills.
- A grass roots advocacy effort that includes in-person Town Halls throughout New York City's council districts.
If you are interested in participating in CNYC's advocacy efforts or serving on an advocacy committee, please contact our office to learn more.
LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD
CNYC's Co-op and Condo Legislative Scorecard Focuses on Co-op/Condo Needs
CNYC Urges City Council Members to Analyze How Legislation Impacts the Affordability and Viability of Co-op and Condo Homeownership
As City lawmakers opt to tackle quality-of-life, safety, and climate issues through sweeping legislation and mandates, homeowners in cooperatives and condominiums are being caught in the crosshairs. The unanticipated and non-negotiable expenses attached to complex and costly compliance requirements are taking a heavy toll in the form of increased carrying charges, capital assessments, and expanding underlying debt. Middle-class and fixed-income co-op and condo homeowners are struggling to meet their financial obligations; some can no longer afford to live in the cooperative or condominium that was the home they had chosen, their little piece of New York City.
In response, CNYC has introduced its first Co-op and Condo Legislative Scorecard to draw attention to proposed bills and resolutions that will impact the viability of co-op and condo homeownership.
In developing the 2025 Co-op and Condo Legislative Scorecard, CNYC reviewed and chose legislation based on the following questions:
- Does it support or diminish co-op and condo governance?
- Does it increase or decrease the cost and complexity of compliance?
- Does it recognize that co-op shareholders and condo unit owners are homeowners, not renters or landlords?
- Will it impact the affordability and viability of co-op and condo homeownership?
CNYC has indicated the voting/sponsorship record of each city council member for the selected bills in green on the chart when the city council member's position aligns with CNYC's position. While the first five items - Int 231, Int 170, Int 393-A, Int 654 and Res 327 - have already been enacted, the remaining eleven bills and one resolution are still in committee. Further, Council Member Dinowitz is still working to have his colleagues sign onto the two letters included on the scorecard that seek to address urgent issues through rule change.
CNYC will update the scorecard to reflect changes in sponsorships/votes. If bills are amended, CNYC will review the changes based on the questions above and adjust the scorecard accordingly. New bills will be added to the chart quarterly, and CNYC will provide position papers on same.
DOWNLOAD CNYC 2025 CO-OP CONDO SCORECARD-CD 1-17
DOWNLOAD CNYC 2025 CO-OP CONDO SCORECARD-CD 18-34
DOWNLOAD CNYC 2025 CO-OP CONDO SCORECARD-CD 35-51
CNYC's Efforts to Ensure That
Co-op Shareholders and Condo Unit Owners
Are Recognized as Homeowners
Receive Massive Boost in NYS Budget
Last night New York State passed its budget for fiscal year 2026, which includes funding specifically for the "purchase and installation of energy efficient equipment...'' in "residential apartments owned as a residential cooperative apartment or a condominium unit.''
This budget line marks the success of the first part of CNYC's long term push to obtain incentives for qualifying shareholders and unit owners that are equal to those offered to qualifying single-family homeowners. The importance of the State's willingness to recognize that co-op shareholders and condo unit owners are individual homeowners with unique economic needs and means is tremendous! The funding this budget sets aside for shareholders and unit owners will help seniors on fixed incomes and other LMI shareholders and unit owners remain in their homes while their co-ops and condos take on legislatively mandated energy efficiency work.
CNYC now looks forward to working with NYSERDA to develop the specific programming to ensure that these funds help as many qualifying shareholders and unit owners as possible.
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