Hochul Signs Housing Bills, Winter Eviction Ban Returns

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Good afternoon, let’s get into today’s news at the intersection of policy and real estate:

Gov. Hochul signed some of the year’s first housing bills into law.
A state ban on evictions is back in the policy mix.
Lobbying efforts for and against a state Senate TOPA bill begin to ramp up.
Albany lawmakers are looking to budget more cash to New York’s land banks.
In this edition we mention: state Sens. James Sanders Jr., Jamaal Bailey, Jabari Brisport, Assembly member Anna Kelles and others.

We Heard

Signed, sealed, delivered: Governor Kathy Hochul signed two housing bills into law, the first of the year. One bill, sponsored by Queens state Sen. James Sanders Jr., requires that the legal agreements homeowners’ or condo associations attach to a deed, known as the restrictive covenants, be revised prior to a sale to strike stipulations that discriminate against any protected class under state and federal law. Those covenants tend to govern how an owner can maintain or modify their property. A second bill, sponsored by Bronx state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, creates new requirements for mortgage holders. Namely, that a payoff payment cannot be refused, partial payments must be accepted, and that payments must be promptly applied to a mortgage.

Back from the dead: Assembly member Anna Kelles and state Sen. Jabari Brisport introduced a bill that would ban winter evictions in New York, intended as a way to protect renters who could end up homeless and on the street during the colder months. As proposed, an eviction could only be executed between April 16th and October 31st. The legislation is a version of a 2023 bill proposed by Kelles and state Senator Zellnor Myrie that failed to gain traction despite a lobbying push by the Fund for the City of New York. This time around, the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition is pushing for the ban.

TOPA vs. COPA: Grassroots nonprofit the New Economy Project submitted lobbying paperwork to directly advocate for the passage of state Sen. Zellnor Myrie’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA, a similar, state-wide version of the City Council’s controversial COPA bill. The organization is the latest this year to jump on the lobbying bandwagon for the bill, which at the moment has 21 co-sponsors. Last year the legislation drew a lobbying push from a mix of proponents and detractors, including the Voices of Community Activists & Leaders, or VOCAL-NY, and the influential Real Estate Board of New York. A political operative not authorized to speak publicly said the real estate industry’s ardent push against COPA also serves as a way to diminish state lawmakers’ political appetite for TOPA.

Land banks cash in: New York State Homes & Community Renewal Commissioner and CEO Ruth Ann Visnauskas said Wednesday during a state budget hearing that the agency has $140 million “out the door” to support New York’s 32 land banks, which redevelop and maintain affordable housing. Visnauskas expects another $20 million will be spent this year, some of which could finance New York City’s forthcoming land bank. State Senator and housing committee chair Brian Kavanagh indicated during the hearing that lawmakers are looking to budget more cash to support the state’s land banks.

Have a tip or feedback? Reach me at caroline.spivack@therealdeal.com.

Around Town

City Council Speaker Julie Menin is rallying with the Hotel and Gaming Trade Council on the steps of City Hall at noon. The powerful union is gearing up for a potential strike over contract negotiations with the industry ahead of eight FIFA World Cup matches coming to New Jersey in June and July, including the tournament final.

Speaking of which, the City Council’s Committee on Economic Development is holding its first oversight hearing on preparations for the FIFA World Cup coming to the region. Tune in virtually at 1 p.m., or in person at 250 Broadway in hearing room one on the eighth floor.

The Catch-Up

Mayor Mamdani’s inaugural “Rental Ripoff” hearing Thursday was a more subdued event than expected, featuring a resource fair and one-on-one meetings with city officials, resembling a parent-teacher conference night rather than a show trial, reports The Real Deal’s Lilah Burke and Kathryn Brenzel.

Council member Christopher Marte’s chief of staff, Caitlin Kelmar, is an active member of the grassroots group Youth Against Displacement, which is waging a propaganda campaign on social media against one of Chinatown’s commercial landlords, Jonathan Chu, writes TRD columnist Erik Engquist.

Council member Vickie Paladino reluctantly voted for a Queens housing complex by developers Apex and Barrone Management, publicly blaming one of the housing ballot measures approved in November that would have allowed the developers to take the council’s rejection to an appeals board, reports Kathryn Brenzel.

State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher are pushing a bill to create rent stabilization for the city’s retail tenants. Erik Engquist has some thoughts: calling it “destructive” and “badly written.”

Mayor Mamdani met with President Trump Thursday, asking for $21 billion in federal grants for a long-stalled project to build 12,000 apartments and an entirely new neighborhood on top of Sunnyside Yards in Queens, reports Politico.

A city charter revision commission convened by former Mayor Eric Adams is exploring the possibility of accepting private contributions to fund its operations should the Mamdani administration try to block its efforts, reports City & State. The last charter revision commission convened by Adams focused on several ultimately successful land use and affordable housing-related measures.

The mayor has continued to fill out leadership positions in his administration with the Wednesday announcement that Erin Dalton, who runs the Department of Human Services for Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, is his pick to run the city’s Department of Social Services. On Tuesday, Mamdani selected Sideya Sherman as the director of the city Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission.

The Kicker

“It’s the right thing to do for tenants and the right thing to do for affordable housing providers,” said state Senator Brian Kavanagh, chair of the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development, on a proposal that would create a new diversion court to speed up emergency aid for tenants to cover arrears owed to landlords.