The Community Service Society of New York
11/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/10/2026 09:55
Press Release: CSS Applauds COPA Enactment: Advancing Housing Affordability and Community Ownership
November 10th, 2026
Press Release
CSS Applauds COPA Enactment: Advancing Housing Affordability and Community Ownership
For decades, New York City has allowed distressed property flipping and expiring affordability to fester in Harlem, Washington Heights, and communities of color across the city. That changed when City Council leaders voted to give reputable housing operators a chance to intervene.
Today, Mayor Mamdani will sign the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA. The legislation is sponsored by Councilmember Sandy Nurse, who represents East New York, Brownsville, and Bushwick and is a well-known champion for tenants and Community Land Trusts.
The legislation will give government-vetted qualified entities the first chance to buy troubled properties when they come up for sale. These entities include community-based nonprofit affordable housing developers, as well as many minority- and women-owned businesses.
COPA introduces a circuit breaker into a real estate system that has long enabled crumbling buildings to change hands through anonymous limited liability corporations and allowed rents in once-affordable buildings to rise to sky-high market rates.
By signing this legislation, the city is taking an important step toward building public capacity to preserve affordability and promote community ownership.
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The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) has worked with and for New Yorkers since 1843 to promote economic opportunity and champion an equitable city and state. We power change through a strategic combination of research, services, and advocacy to make New York more livable for people facing economic insecurity. By expanding access to health care, affordable housing, employment opportunities, debt assistance, and more, we make a tangible difference in the lives of millions. Join us at www.cssny.org.
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The Community Service Society of New York published this content on November 10, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 10, 2026 at 15:56 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]