On Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM, the New York City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings met in Hearing Room 3 at 250 Broadway to vote on Intro No. 1015-A, a local law amending the administrative code to improve and extend the J51 tax abatement program for alterations and improvements to certain multiple dwellings. All 11 committee members were present. After discussion, the committee voted unanimously, 11 in the affirmative with none in the negative and no abstentions, to approve the amended introduction.
Chair Pierina Ana Sanchez opened by framing the bill as a response to both the housing crisis and the climate crisis, noting that aging buildings are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions and are experiencing failing elevators, roofs, boilers, and electrical systems. She cited deadly consequences of aging housing and fire hazards in the Bronx and Queens.
Sanchez described J51 as one of the city's most important financial tools for helping owners of eligible multifamily housing, including rental buildings, co-ops, and condos, preserve and upgrade properties and comply with Local Law 97 energy-efficiency requirements.
The chair reported that the mayor's tax expenditure report showed the city dedicated $212.7 million to the J51 program in fiscal year 2026 as foregone tax revenue.
Under 1015-A, J51 is extended for 10 years, covering eligible projects completed between June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2036.
The bill increases the recoverable share of reasonable rehabilitation costs from 80% to 100%.
For co-ops and condos, the assessed valuation cap increases from $45,000 per unit to $60,000 per unit, with regular inflation adjustments. Sanchez said this could extend the program to more than 300,000 co-op and condo units citywide.
Existing accountability mechanisms remain, including termination or revocation of benefits for buildings that fail to meet program requirements, such as the affidavit of no harassment.
The legislation also adds comprehensive public reporting on which buildings receive the new J51 benefit, how much they receive, the categories of work pursued, locations, and the breakdown between rental and homeownership buildings.
Sanchez thanked the Green Co-op Council for persistent advocacy, State Senator Brian Kavanaugh for his leadership, and committee staff and legislative fellow Dylan Campos for their work.
The Committee on Housing and Buildings approved Intro No. 1015-A by roll call vote: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions. The vote was initially held open after seven affirmative votes, then completed as remaining members voted.
Councilmember Feliz expressed support, saying the bill is important for ensuring affordable housing is in a clean, habitable, and safe condition.
According to the committee minutes, the introduction required agency rule-making and a report, was the subject of a hearing, had an amendment proposed by the committee, and was amended by the committee before approval.
Hello, good morning. Welcome to today's New York City Council vote. At this time, please silence all phones. Moving forward, no one is to approach the day's chair. You may begin. Thank you, Sergeants, and good morning. I'm Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings. Today, the committee will be voting on proposed intro number 1015A, a bill to improve and extend the J51 tax abatement program. New York City is facing a housing crisis and a climate crisis, and our aging buildings are at the center of both. Our buildings are among the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, even as they break down around us. Elevators are failing, stranding seniors and people with disabilities, roof boilers, and electrical systems and other critical infrastructures need investment. And in the Bronx and Queens, we are living the deadly consequences of aging housing and fire hazards. While government has a responsibility to set high standards for owners to keep buildings safe, protect uh building safe, protect tenants, and reduce emissions. We must also help owners to make the investments being asked of them. Today, I am proud that the council will be voting on 1015A, which will do just that by improving and extending the J51 tax abatement program. J51 offers a tax abatement for eligible multifamily housing, including certain rental buildings, co-ops, and condos. It's one of the city's most important financial tools for helping owners to keep up with cost uh the cost necessary to preserve and upgrade their properties, including energy efficiency work so that buildings can better comply with local law 97. And this is not a small program. The mayor's report on tax expenditures reports that the city dedicated 212.7 million dollars to the J51 program in the 2026 fiscal year. That's foregone tax expenditures in service of improving old properties. This program enables building owners to replace elevators, wheelchair lifts, repair roofing, install energy efficient equipment, and J51 is only becoming more essential as older buildings continue to deteriorate and climate change solutions, climate change continues to require urgent action. Earlier this year, New York State authorized the city to extend J51 and made three key changes. First, the legislation will provide a longer extension than previous reauthorizations. If passed today, 1050 1015A will extend J51 for 10 years. This means eligible projects that are complete between June 30th and uh 2026 and June 30th, 2036, when I will finally be 21 years old, just kidding, are able to receive this tax benefit. Second, under 1015A, building owners would now be able to recover up to 100% of the reasonable cost of their rehabilitation work. It used to be 80%. And third, for co-ops and condos, this bill raises the assessed valuation cap for from 45,000 per unit to $60,000 per unit and will be updated regularly to account for inflation. With these changes, the program has the potential to reach more than 300,000 co-ops and condo units citywide. And in addition, in addition to these changes, 1015A will maintain previous accountability mechanisms for terminating or revoking the benefits if any building fails to comply with the program requirements, including the affidavit of no harassment. The council is also adding comprehensive reporting on which buildings receive the new J51 benefit, how much they receive, the categories of work they are pursuing, where they are located, and the breakdown between rental and homeownership buildings. This will provide the public with the transparent with transparent information on how the city is using its resources and help to shape future iterations of the J51 program. Finally, the thank yous. First, I want to thank the Green Co-op Council for their persistent advocacy, and State Senator Brian Kavanaugh, the Chair of Housing in the Senate, for his leadership on this issue in the legislature. To the Housing and Buildings Committee staff, Senior Legislative Council Austin Malone, Legislative Council Billy Eck, Senior Policy Analyst Jose Conde, Senior Policy Analyst Dirk Spencer, Finance Analyst Carla Naranjo Naranjo, and data scientist Mohammed Shadid and Noah Slosberg. And last but not least, my team, Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Ben Ratner and Kim Castellanos, District Director, Maria José Maris, Gerard Fernandez, Oriana Roa Acevedo, Soraya Bonilla, Marcus Kahn, and Jacob Hayward. I want to take this moment to send a very special shout out to Dylan Campos, our incredible legislative fellow, and who for today, this will be his last stated meeting with us. We're just so lucky to have had you on our team. You got us out of uh quite a few pickles and passed, you know, some some really important moments. Thank you so much for everything you did for this team. You will always be a part of Team Sanchez. Uh and I'm doing today my by my colleagues, but I'll turn it over to the clerk to call the roll. Hi, Ben Jacobs, Committee Clerk, uh, roll call vote for intro 1015A. Chair Sanchez. Aye. Councilmember Riley. Aye. Councilmember Felice. Aye on all, congratulations, Chair. This is a very important stuff to make sure that our affordable housing is in a clean, uh, habitable and safe condition.