Expanding Affordable Housing and Building Stronger Communities

Foster sustainable affordable housing development and prevent sprawl into rural greenspace and agricultural land

New York’s housing policies have too often pushed development into greenfields and farmland, even though building there raises public costs and makes housing more expensive over time. Directing affordable housing investment toward existing communities, where roads, utilities, and services already exist, lowers the cost of building housing, limits sprawl into agricultural and environmentally sensitive land, and better aligns state spending with housing and climate goals.

Increase funding for the Housing Voucher Access Program (HAVP) to prevent homelessness for individuals and families

Housing vouchers do not prevent homelessness if families cannot find landlords willing to accept them. Expanding HAVP helps close that gap by making vouchers usable in real housing markets, allowing low-income families to secure stable housing before a crisis occurs. This lowers costs in the long run because it is cheaper for the state to provide housing for people than to find shelter beds after they become homeless.

Increase funding for the New York State Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP) to address federal funding cuts for supportive housing and mental health services

Permanent supportive housing with wraparound services helps people with mental health and substance use disorders remain housed while stabilizing their lives. NYSSHP is one of the most effective tools the state has to reduce homelessness, hospitalizations, and repeated emergency interventions.

Protect tenants’ rights to organize for better conditions

Tenants are often the first to identify unsafe or unhealthy conditions in their buildings, but organizing can carry real risk without strong protections. Safeguarding the right to organize is essential to accountability, habitability, and housing stability.

Create pathways to homeownership through the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)

When rental buildings are sold, tenants are frequently displaced even when they have long-standing ties to their communities. TOPA gives tenants a fair opportunity to purchase their buildings and preserve affordability, creating pathways to collective ownership and long-term stability.

Make it easier for municipalities to implement rent stabilization by passing the REST Act

Right now, local governments must clear a series of outdated legal thresholds before they can adopt rent stabilization, even when renters are facing rapid and destabilizing rent increases. The REST Act updates that process so communities can act based on current housing conditions, allowing local decision-making instead of forcing municipalities to wait until displacement has already occurred.

Expand rural housing options through prefabricated and modular construction

Rural housing shortages are worsened by high construction costs, limited contractor capacity, and long build timelines. Prefabricated and modular homes can reduce costs and speed delivery while meeting building codes, giving rural communities a practical way to add housing without waiting years for conventional builds.