Mamdani Admin, NYC Councilmembers Rally For Bill To Help 350K+ NYC Households Afford Critical Climate Upgrades

NEW YORK, NY (09/09/2026) (readMedia)-- Today, New York City Councilmembers, NYC Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung, and dozens of advocates rallied in support of Intro 1015, legislation that would save co-op and apartment owners thousands of dollars on necessary climate upgrades to their buildings. Once signed, the new and improved J-51 tax abatement program will expand eligibility to nearly 100,000 more households, ensuring more than 350,000 low- and middle-income New Yorkers can save money through 2036 as they make upgrades to their homes and comply with Local Law 97 (LL 97).

Read the report and see if your building is eligible here.

Video from the event here.

Images from the event here.

"To respond to the housing and climate crises, we must do everything in our power to preserve and retrofit New York City's aging building stock," said NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings. "Int. 1015 would do just that by extending the J-51 program-a tax benefit that could benefit up to 300,000 co-ops and condos, and rental buildings. I am proud to again lead the authorization of J51, which will allow more owners to reach their emission targets under Local Law 97, without shifting the cost burden to their tenants, over a longer time window than previous versions. At today's hearing, we will hear this bill within a larger conversation about preservation, strengthened code enforcement, empowering tenants, and the numerous proposals in the Mayor's Block by Block plan. I applaud the Green Co-Op Council and our state partners for their leadership, and look forward to advancing this critically needed legislation."

"Green building retrofits are important investments with real costs. Expanding access to the J-51 tax abatement means that middle-class co-op and condo owners will not have to choose between making critical upgrades, saving money, or cutting emissions. We look forward to working with our partners in City Council to get this legislation across the finish line, and to put this expanded benefit to work for New Yorkers," said NYC Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung.

"The new and improved J-51 program is exactly the kind of smart policy that protects New Yorkers from climate change while also saving them money. This program will help building owners make necessary investments they need to so the next generation can live in cleaner, more sustainable homes while keeping their homes affordable.ensuring they aren't left on their own to pay for it. The state already did its part, and now it's on the Council to finish the job by passing Intro 1015 into law," said Priya Mulgaonkar, Director at the Green Co-op Council.

The rally comes as advocates released a new report detailing how the J-51 tax abatement could help save New Yorkers money on critical upgrades to boilers, facades, roofing and more, expanding access to an additional 94,416 households compared to the version that ended this year. The report also includes a new, interactive tool that residents can use to see whether their building is eligible for the new J-51 program once it is signed into law. Read the report and see the tool here.

New York City's aging, inefficient buildings are the city's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and biggest contributor to climate change, which is why LL 97 requires buildings to make energy efficient upgrades and cut emissions. The new J-51 tax abatement will make it more affordable for co-op boards and building owners to invest in healthier, more energy-efficient upgrades without breaking the bank so that residents can live in healthier, affordable homes that comply with LL 97.

Earlier this year, Albany lawmakers re-authorized the J-51 tax abatement program, expanding eligibility so that thousands of middle-class co-op and apartment buildings - including all Mitchell-Lama housing - are eligible for the program. The bill ties eligibility to inflation, and also covers up to 100% of some projects instead of the previous 70% cap.

"Reauthorizing J-51 fights two crises facing our city: skyrocketing housing costs and accelerating climate change. Across our city, co-op and condo owners are being squeezed financially, while also being asked to comply with Local Law 97. J-51 helps families afford critical upgrades to their homes that lower their energy bills, clean our air, improve comfort, and reduce carbon emissions," said City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu.

"For too many New Yorkers, the rising cost of housing and the cost of making necessary building improvements are putting added pressure on their ability to stay in their homes," said Council Member Lynn Schulman. "J-51 is an important tool that helps co-op owners and affordable housing providers make critical upgrades while protecting long-term affordability. As we work to address the impacts of climate change, we must ensure that the transition to cleaner, more efficient buildings does not come at the expense of working and middle-class New Yorkers. This legislation is a commonsense approach to preserving our housing stock, supporting homeowners, and building a more sustainable city."

"Extending J-51 is critical to meeting the goals of Local Law 97," said City Council Member Eric Dinowitz. "This program empowers co-op buildings - including more than 10,000 families in the North Bronx - to make the energy-efficient and climate-friendly upgrades we need to reduce pollution and fight climate change. Without an extension, thousands of buildings could lose the opportunity to save money on urgent capital repairs. I was proud to co-sponsor legislation to renew the J-51 tax abatement in 2024, and look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this expanded program this session so that New Yorkers can live more sustainably and affordably."

"Upgrading our buildings to reduce greenhouse emissions is critical to mitigating the impact of climate change and supporting the city's transition to clean energy," said City Council Member Harvey Epstein. "At the same time, it is important that we make these upgrades affordable for New Yorkers living in co-ops. I am proud to co-sponsor the reauthorization of J-51, which is a simple step we can take to meet our climate goals and ensure that co-ops have the tools they need to make these upgrades."

"Our rent stabilized homes and affordable co-ops are a frontline resource in our city's constant fight against displacement," said City Council Member Christopher Marte. "I congratulate the swift action of Speaker Menin and Council Member Sanchez to enable the State's renewal and expansion of the J-51 program. This program helps our rent-stabilized and cooperative housing stock conduct needed capital work while maintaining affordability. Expansions in assessed value caps, abatement coverage, and qualifying sustainability upgrades only serve to make this program stronger and more accessible. I am proud to support this enabling legislation."

"Co-ops are home to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, many of whom are already facing rising costs. I have long supported practical policies that help building owners comply with Local Law 97 while preserving affordability, and reauthorizing J-51 is an important part of that effort," said City Council Member James F. Gennaro, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Waterfronts. "By helping offset the cost of critical building improvements, this program can support both homeowners and our city's climate goals. I look forward to working with the Speaker and my colleagues as the proposal advances through the legislative process."

"Our city can support climate-based solutions, our co-ops, and affordability in the face of rising costs of housing and housing improvements. We need programs like J-15 that help co-ops make improvements to their buildings that make them greener and more affordable," said City Council Member Shekar Krishnan. "I stand with the Green Co-op Council and a strong coalition of State and City elected officials in fighting to cut the red tape of government and ensure co-ops are rewarded for making improvements to homes that make them healthier, greener, and more affordable."

"Co-ops have long been one of the ways that working, and middle-class New Yorkers have been able to own a home and stay in the city," said City Council Member Gale A. Brewer. "We need to protect that path to homeownership, particularly as buildings face rising costs and new requirements. These owners are facing pressure to address energy efficiency, which can be financially stressful, and J-51 can help to mitigate the cost. I thank Council Member Sanchez for moving this legislation forward and making sure more co-op and condo owners can benefit from J-51."

"J-51 is one of the most effective tools our co-ops and homeowners have to comply with Local Law 97," said City Council Member Ty Hankerson. "Thanks to this tax abatement, buildings can afford necessary capital repairs and green retrofits that simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and lower monthly utility costs. Reauthorizing J-51 is an essential step to reducing the city's carbon footprint while preserving our essential housing stock for generations to come."

"My stance on J-51 remains the same as it was when the question was first proposed to me before I took office. If we're serious about meeting LL97 goals of net zero by 2050 and creating long-term housing affordability, extending the J-51 program is a no-brainer. In the South Bronx, we are facing the brunt of severe weather events. Flooding is getting worse, heat waves are more frequent and intense, and our quality continues to be the worst in the state. Each environmental event further underscores the need to urgently address and prevent these crises, extending J-51 is the first step. This conversation can no longer be about creating a greener New York for the sake of long-term sustainability and future generations, it's about the generation of New Yorkers living here today who are at risk and ensuring that our city remains habitable," said City Council Member Justin Sanchez.

"We have a dual affordability and a climate crisis that's squeezing our working class and putting overwhelming pressure on our energy grid," said City Council Member Sandy Nurse. "The J-51 tax abatement program supports our city's climate goals by incentivizing clean and affordable housing improvements. We can keep low-income New Yorkers in their homes and improve our housing stock while making it easier for owners to upgrade their buildings."

"Responsible land use is just as much about preserving and strengthening the housing we already have as it is about building more. J-51 gives co-op and apartment owners a critical tool to make energy-efficient and climate-resilient upgrades without placing the full burden of these costs on residents," said Council Member Farah N. Louis, Chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. "Reauthorizing J-51 is an important step toward maintaining our housing stock, meeting our climate obligations, and keeping communities affordable. I am proud to stand with the Green Co-op Council, Council Member Pierina Sanchez, and our partners in this fight, and I urge my colleagues to move Intro 1015 forward and get this essential relief to New Yorkers."

"The new and expanded J-51 bill, which extends the program for ten years and includes an escalator clause for eligibility thresholds, is an important step to providing needed relief for the co-op and condo homeowners in qualifying buildings who must self-fund preservation, sustainability and resiliency projects while facing escalating carrying costs," said Rebecca Poole, Director of Membership and Communication for the Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums (CNYC). "CNYC is grateful to Governor Hochul, Senator Kavanagh and Assembly Member Braunstein for shaping the enabling state legislation, and to Council Member Sanchez for her work on the City's bill. CNYC looks forward to working with the City in helping all eligible co-ops and condos access the benefits offered by the program."

"J-51 changes the math for co-ops. It makes the deep upgrades that lower operating costs and improve comfort financially viable in exactly the buildings that need them most," said Marc Zuluaga, co-founder of Cadence OneFive.

"Many thanks to Council Member Pierina Sanchez for introducing this much-needed legislation," said Lonnie J. Portis, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. "Communities of color and low-income have been largely left behind in the transition to renewable energy because most cannot afford the upgrades and improvements – interventions that will not only lower their energy bills but also reduce the emissions that disproportionately harm their health. Reauthorizing J-51 will start to address that."

"The City paying for 100% of the costs of energy efficiency and repair projects through 2035 for working class co-ops and condos will lower energy bills and housing costs, create good jobs, and cut pollution. The obscure acronym hides that this is a big deal!" said Pete Sikora, Senior Advisor for New York Communities for Change.

"The City Council should immediately reauthorize J-51 to help low- to middle-income co-ops and condos comply with Local Law 97. As we continue to face rising costs and a worsening climate crisis, programs like J-51 become even more important. The success of Local Law 97 relies on generous funding from the state to ensure no community is unable to meet the requirements. The expansion of J-51 will lead to immediate positive effects, from more comfortable homes and cheaper bills for residents in eligible buildings to more jobs and cleaner air citywide," said Graham Gale, NYC Organizer at Food & Water Watch.

"The costs are stacking up - energy bills are high, housing prices continue to spike, and mounting health impacts are invisible but deadly, especially for communities of color hit first and worst by our changing climate. This legislation offers a common-sense solution for all three: make it easier for co-op, condo, and affordable rental building owners to transition to clean energy and upgrade buildings. We thank Council Member Sanchez for her leadership and urge the Council to take swift action to pass Intro 1015 to reauthorize the J-51 program , for green jobs, affordable homes, and a healthier NYC," said Jenille Scott, ALIGN Climate Director.

"The J-51 tax abatement program will fund critical investments in NYC's middle class housing stock, helping these families live in a healthy, affordable NYC. We are especially excited about how these investments will reduce the indoor and outdoor air pollution that is causing or contributing to premature deaths, diseases and enormous health care costs," said Deepa Prasad, MPH, Co-Chair of the Climate Reality Project NYC Metro Chapter.

"The new and improved J51 will help thousands of families benefit from lower bills, good jobs, and cleaner air in their homes, neighborhoods, and across the city. It's great to see New York's City and State leaders coming together to address the compounding affordability, public health, and climate change crises," said Cecilia Ellis, Policy and Communications Manager at NYPIRG. "We're excited to work with the City Council to bring these changes home by passing Intro 1015!"

"Jewish Climate Action Network NYC (JCAN) strongly supports City Council adoption of an expanded version of the J-51 program that helps condos, co-ops and affordable rental buildings achieve the twin goals of preserving affordable housing for New Yorkers while implementing clean and healthy upgrades. The proposed legislation will reduce climate pollution throughout New York City, which preserves and protects the well-being of New Yorkers today and for future generations. Our support stems from our deep faith and calling to protect all life on this sacred planet and we join with people of all faith heeding the same calling," said Jeff Levy-Lyons and Wendy Seligson, Co-directors Jewish Climate Action Network NYC.

"As families living in New York City, our members are grappling with both the pressures of rising costs and the many impacts of rising temperatures. J-51 is an initiative that addresses both, showing that the affordability agenda can and does go hand-in-hand with a greener, healthier city for our children", said Ella Ryan, a volunteer organizer with Climate Families NYC.

"J-51 R is a critical lifeline that helps thousands of eligible owner-occupied and rental multifamily buildings in NYC invest in capital improvements, including those needed to meet Local Law 97," said Chris Halfnight, CEO of Urban Green Council. "This legislation ensures that around half of all co-ops and condos with emissions limits under Local Law 97 can access tax abatement benefits to support necessary upgrades. We thank Council Member Sanchez for taking this step to align affordability and decarbonization, giving everyday New Yorkers the assurance that J-51 R will remain available to them for the next decade."

"350Brooklyn has thousands of members in Brooklyn, many of whom live in coops. They care deeply about complying with our city's flagship climate law, Local Law 97, but many have modest financial means and income," said Sarah Reed, a volunteer organizer with 350Brooklyn. "Extending J-51 is a critical piece of the puzzle to finance these improvements, which are urgent for the health of our climate and quality of life."