Housing (Affordable Housing)

Provides for the eligibility of certain households for a care workforce housing preference; provides for the method of application for such preference; makes related provisions.

This bill modifies New York State's real property tax law to allow property owners of affordable housing buildings to receive tax reductions for making specific repairs and improvements that maintain the habitability of their units. It directly affects owners of multi-unit rental buildings, condominiums, cooperatives, and mutual housing companies that meet certain income and affordability requirements. To qualify, buildings must have at least three units, and owners must obtain a certificate from their local housing agency confirming the project's eligibility and cost limits, with improvements needing to be completed within a thirty-month window. The tax abatement is tied to a certified reasonable cost schedule that sets maximum dollar limits for approved alterations, ensuring funds are used for essential maintenance rather than expansion.

This bill allows low-income housing tax credits to be transferred multiple times between different owners or entities, rather than being limited to a single transfer. It directly affects taxpayers who own interests in low-income housing buildings and the entities that receive these tax credits. The key provision permits a transferee to pass the credit on to another person or entity, provided the transfer is properly documented and does not affect the project's eligibility for program benefits. The changes apply to tax credits allocated under the public housing law, regardless of whether the projects are under construction, completed, or in pre-development stages.

Establishes the CareForce first-time homebuyers program under which certain first-time homebuyers may receive below-market mortgage financing and forgivable down payment assistance.

Creates an employer-assisted housing match grant program under which certain nonprofit employees may be eligible for a state match for certain employer-provided funds for housing costs.

Includes positive rental payment information reporting as a preference in the evaluation of project applications in the New York state low income housing tax credit program; requires landlords to offer tenants the option of positive rental payment information reporting; creates notice requirements for the election of positive rental payment information reporting.

Establishes the build up New York pilot program to provide grants to eligible municipalities that construct new accessory dwelling unit housing projects built on top of existing buildings that utilize mass timber and serve certain households; establishes the mass timber for affordable housing program to provide tax credits for eligible taxpayers who use mass timber in certain new construction or major retrofits of existing buildings that primarily serve households up to one hundred fifty percent of the area median income; establishes tax credits for mass timber production.

Creates an employer-assisted housing match grant program under which certain nonprofit employees may be eligible for a state match for certain employer-provided funds for housing costs.

Enacts into law major components of legislation necessary to implement the state education, labor, housing and family assistance budget for the 2026-2027 state fiscal year; relates to contracts for excellence, foundation aid, the homeless and foster count, renewable energy projects, zero-emissions school buses and to apportioning aid for universal prekindergarten; relates to reimbursement for the 2026-2027 school year and the maximum contract hours, withholding a portion of employment preparation education aid, and the effectiveness thereof; relates to the use of apportionments for the EXCEL program and the effectiveness thereof; relates to maximum class sizes for special classes for certain students with disabilities; provides for special apportionment for salary expenses; provides for special apportionment for public pension accruals; amends provisions relating to the apportionment amount for the Roosevelt union free school district; provides for set-asides from the state funds which certain districts are receiving from the total foundation aid; provides for support of public libraries; repeals certain provisions relating to the statewide universal full-day prekindergarten program (Part A); relates to evidence-based instructional practices in the subject of mathematics for students in kindergarten through grade five (Part B); relates to the eligibility of students enrolled in an approved program leading to a degree in a high demand field for the New York opportunity promise scholarship (Part C); allows for the chancellor of SUNY and CUNY to impose differential tuition rates on non-resident undergraduate and graduate students until the 2028-2029 academic year (Part E); relates to early childhood educator eligibility for the masters-in-education teacher incentive scholarship program (Part F); changes the name of the "New York state musical instrument revolving fund" to the "New York state music grant fund"; includes musical education in school districts and boards of cooperative educational services within not-for-profit musical entities incorporated in the state and organized for the purpose of the presentation of performing arts for the benefit of the public (Part G); extends provisions of law relating to restructuring financing for residential school placements (Part K); increases the standards of monthly need for aged, blind and disabled persons living in the community (Part L); utilizes reserves in the mortgage insurance fund for the neighborhood preservation program, the rural preservation program, the rural rental assistance program, and the New York state supportive housing program, the solutions to end homelessness program or the operational support for AIDS housing program (Part M); increases the number of land banks which can simultaneously exist in the state of New York from 35 to 45 (Part N); authorizes a tax abatement for alterations and improvements to multiple dwellings for purposes of preserving habitability in affordable housing (Part O); relates to establishing the crime of aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant (Part P); renumbers the disparate impact standard for housing and employment in the human rights law (Part Q); defines eligible multiple dwelling under the affordable New York housing program; includes a multiple dwelling that is located on a parcel of land which was part of a tract of land for which a special permit for a large scale general development was approved via the uniform land use review procedure on or before June 15, 2022, and such tract contains a multiple dwelling for which the commencement date is after December 31, 2015 and on or before June 15, 2022 and complies with certain affordability options (Part R).

Establishes the CareForce first-time homebuyers program under which certain first-time homebuyers may receive below-market mortgage financing and forgivable down payment assistance.