The Community Land Act is an urgently-needed set of bills that give community land trusts (CLTs) and other nonprofits new tools to develop and preserve permanently-affordable housing, community and commercial space, and other neighborhood assets. By taking land and housing off the speculative market, the Community Land Act will protect public investment in affordable housing and maintain affordability in perpetuity.

The Community Land Act includes:

• Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (Introduction 196) – giving CLTs and other qualified nonprofits a first chance to buy multifamily residential buildings when a landlord sells. Modeled on successful legislation in other cities, COPA helps level the playing field for CLTs to acquire, develop and preserve permanently-affordable housing.
  
  
• Public Land for Public Good (Introduction 637) – prioritizing CLTs and not-for-profit developers when the City disposes of public land. The bill will help ensure that vacant and underutilized public land is used to provide permanently-affordable housing and meet other critical needs.
  
  
• Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Resolution (Resolution 38) – calling on New York State to pass legislation giving tenants a first right to collectively buy their buildings when a landlord sells. Like COPA, TOPA would help bring housing into permanently-affordable tenant and community control.
  
  
• Permanently abolishing and replacing NYC’s tax lien sale – which has fueled speculation and displacement in BIPOC communities. NYC must replace the lien sale with an equitable system that engages CLTs to preserve affordable housing and keep New Yorkers in their homes. 

Together, these measures address root causes of our city's affordability crisis, combat displacement of low-income New Yorkers, and build collective wealth in Black and brown communities.

The Community Land Act is endorsed by more than 100 community and affordable housing groups, and a majority of City Council Members have co-sponsored the bills. Help win passage of the CLA by signing on below!