What's happening
This bill requires affordable housing programs in New York City to use the zip code's area median income to determine affordability.
Why it matters
Targets affordability more precisely. By requiring affordable housing programs to use the area median income (AMI) specific to each zip code, the bill ensures that housing affordability reflects the actual incomes of local residents, rather than citywide or broader averages that can mask neighborhood-level disparities.
Could increase housing access for lower-income residents. In many NYC neighborhoods, the current citywide AMI is significantly higher than the local median income, making “affordable” units out of reach for many local families. This change would likely bring rents and eligibility requirements closer to what local residents can actually afford.
Might impact real estate development decisions. Developers and non-profits may face new financial calculations for projects, as lower zip-code-based AMIs could reduce allowable rents and change the economics of affordable housing production in lower-income neighborhoods.
Aims to address gentrification and displacement. By aligning affordability metrics with local incomes, the bill attempts to prevent new affordable housing from primarily serving higher-income newcomers, thereby supporting efforts to reduce displacement of long-term residents in rapidly changing neighborhoods.
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Who cares
New York City housing agencies
Affordable housing programs initiated after the bill takes effect would have to determine affordability using only the median income of the ZIP code where each project is located.
Affordable housing developers
Projects under newly initiated programs would be subject to ZIP-code-specific income benchmarks for determining affordability.
Households seeking affordable housing
Affordability determinations for projects under newly initiated programs would reflect the median income in the project's ZIP code.
Headline styles
Set Rent by Zip Code
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6225
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 28, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. BARNWELL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to require all affordable housing programs in a city having a population over one million to calculate the area median income based on the zip code in which the project will be located
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, within cities having a population of one million or more, any affordable housing program initiated after the effective date of this act shall only use the area median income (AMI) for the specific zip code that the project is located in for determining affordability.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09774-04-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.