New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday signed legislation giving qualified nonprofit organizations and community groups the first opportunity to purchase certain distressed and affordable apartment buildings.
Mamdani signed the bill at a ceremony in East New York, Brooklyn, alongside City Council Member Sandy Nurse, who sponsored the legislation, housing officials and community advocates.
The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) allows eligible community-based organizations to acquire qualifying residential properties before they are offered on the private market. Under the new law, qualified nonprofits and community organizations will have an exclusive 145-day window to complete the purchase of eligible properties.
If their initial offer is rejected and another buyer subsequently makes an offer within the following year, the organizations will have the right of first refusal, allowing them to match the competing offer.
READ: Mamdani launches $3 million HART initiative to help New Yorkers (October 21, 2026)
“Progress isn’t inevitable. It’s fought for and earned. New York City will now give community organizations the first shot at buying eligible homes — not flippers who are just looking to extract a profit. This is the largest Opportunity to Purchase program in the nation,” Mamdani wrote on X. He also thanked City Council Member Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn) for her leadership in advancing the COPA legislation.
The law covers multifamily buildings with four or more units that are in significant disrepair, as well as properties with existing affordability restrictions under agreements with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).
HPD will maintain a list of qualified entities, including nonprofit housing organizations, tenant groups, community land trusts and other mission-driven organizations. Applicants must demonstrate the financial and organizational capacity to acquire, rehabilitate and manage the properties. The law is expected to affect about 2,100 properties across the five boroughs.
READ: NYC records historic lows in shootings and murders as major crime drops 6.5% under Mamdani (November 10, 2026)
“Six years, six years, four introductions, four hearings, three mayors, two times it was passed, one time it was vetoed—that is the very short history of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act,” Nurse said.
The legislation follows years of political debate and negotiations among housing advocates, lawmakers and the real estate industry. A previous version of COPA was vetoed by former Mayor Eric Adams in December 2025.
The Mamdani administration made the proposal a priority under its “Block by Block” housing initiative. The New York City Council passed the legislation in October with a veto-proof 38-9 majority, meaning it would have become law even without the mayor’s support.
“I am so proud today to sign COPA into law — a historic piece of legislation that will provide vetted community organizations with the right of first opportunity to make an offer on eligible buildings before they go to the open market,” Mamdani told reporters.