NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1398A

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Housing, Construction And Community Development Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 31, 2025	print number 1398a
Mar 31, 2025	amend (t) and recommit to housing, construction and community development
Jan 09, 2025	referred to housing, construction and community development

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2025-S1398 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Housing, Construction And Community Development
Law Section:: Private Housing Finance Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 33 §§1300 & 1301, Priv Hous Fin L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S8585

2025-S1398 - Summary

Establishes the block by block homeownership program to provide capital subsidies for the purpose of constructing, preserving, and rehabilitating one- to two- family dwellings throughout the state, outside of NYC.

2025-S1398 - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1398

SPONSOR: RYAN S
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to estab-
lishing the infill housing pilot program in the city of Buffalo

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would create a pilot program developing 2,000 new units of
infill housing in the city of Buffalo.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: amends the Private Housing Finance. Law to create a new Arti-
cle 32: infill Housing Pilot Program. Section 1290 of this new article
outlines the need for new affordable housing development in upstate New
York, particularly in the City of Buffalo. Section 1290 outlines
requirements that this housing be accessible to low-to-moderate income
earners and sold to those living in the same census tract as the newly
built properties. Section 1291 of the new article describes the infill

housing pilot program. The Division of Housing and Community
Renewal(DHCR) is directed to make funding available for the construction
of 2,000 one- to two-family housing units in the city of Buffalo over a
5-year period. DHCR is further directed to promulgate regulations to put
this plan into effect and to identify vacant lots owned by the city of
Buffalo for development.

Section 2: Establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There are currently 13,000 residential vacant lots in the City of
Buffalo, including roughly 7,500 owned by the city. These vacant lots
currently sit languishing, providing little to no tax revenue to the
city or county. They also serve as a source of blight for communities,
driving down the value of surrounding homes. Utilizing infill housing
that matches the style of the community will simultaneously increase
supply, making housing more affordable for new buyers, while improving
the quality of the neighborhoods in which they are built, which will
increase the value of surrounding homes.  In addition, these new homes
will generate millions in tax revenue that can be used to further
improve the livability and desirability of the City of Buffalo.

Housing prices are on the rise throughout the state. In many areas the
culprit is a low supply of turn-key ready real estate on the market.
Buffalo is a prime example of this phenomenon, as supply has consistent-
ly failed to keep pace with demand. Out of the largest 100 metro areas
in the United States, Buffalo ranked second to last in housing supply as
of January 2023, with just over a month's worth of housing supply. When
combined with the rising population in the city, a perfect storm of low
supply and high demand has created an extremely tight housing market,
making it difficult for new homebuyers to enter the market.

Housing is also an economic and racial justice issue. In the City of
Buffalo, two-thirds of households make less than $70,000. Combined with
home prices that have been inflated by low supply, this means that the
mortgage payment on an average home is a significant obstacle to those
who might want to enter the housing market. This problem is exacerbated
when considering the housing gap between white households and black
households. While homeownership rates for white people have risen to
more than 70% nationwide, the black homeownership rate has stayed stag-
nant at around 34%. Research has found that the gap in Buffalo is even
wider than the national average. Addressing this gap should be a priori-
ty for the state, and one of the best ways that goal can be accomplished
is by increasing housing supply and lowering housing costs.

As the largest upstate city in New York, Buffalo is the perfect locality
in which to pilot this program. With a growing population and plenty of
vacant lots, Buffalo is an ideal location to test the efficacy of large-
scale infill housing programs. If the program is successful, it can be
implemented in other upstate cities.

The program will be straightforward to execute, as DHCR already has the
tools to implement the pilot. Using DHCR funds, the State would subsi-
dize the cost of building homes on some of these vacant lots and selling
them to first-time buyers at an affordable price. It is estimated that
this project will require the use of approximately $160 million per year
over the five-year roll out. It is also estimated that this proposal
will generate nearly $12 million in local and county property taxes
every year going forward.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S.8585/A.9918 Referred to Housing

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

$800 million over 5 years or $160 million per year.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S1398 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1398
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. S. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
   Community Development
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to estab-
   lishing the infill housing pilot program in the city of Buffalo

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The private housing finance law is amended by adding a new
 article 33 to read as follows:
                              ARTICLE XXXIII
                       INFILL HOUSING PILOT PROGRAM
 SECTION 1300. LEGISLATIVE PURPOSE.
         1301. INFILL HOUSING PILOT PROGRAM.
   § 1300. LEGISLATIVE PURPOSE. IT IS  HEREBY  DECLARED  AND  FOUND  THAT
 THERE  EXISTS  ACROSS  UPSTATE NEW YORK, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE CITY OF
 BUFFALO, A SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AVAILABLE FOR  PURCHASE.
 IT IS FURTHER FOUND THAT HOMEOWNERSHIP IS ESSENTIAL FOR BUILDING GENERA-
 TIONAL WEALTH, AND THAT THE STATE THEREFORE HAS AN INTEREST IN PROMOTING
 HOMEOWNERSHIP. IN ORDER, FURTHER, TO PROMOTE HOMEOWNERSHIP, IT IS HEREBY
 DECLARED  THAT  ADDITIONAL  PROVISIONS  SHOULD BE MADE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC
 MONIES FOR THE PURPOSES OF BUILDING TWO THOUSAND  ONE-  TO  TWO-  FAMILY
 HOUSING  UNITS  IN  THE  CITY OF BUFFALO FOR PURCHASE BY LOW TO MODERATE
 INCOME BUYERS LIVING IN OR NEAR THE CENSUS TRACT WHERE THE  PROPERTY  IS
 LOCATED.    THE  NECESSITY  IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR THE PROVISIONS OF
 THIS ARTICLE IS HEREBY DECLARED AS  A  MATTER  OF  LEGISLATIVE  DETERMI-
 NATION.
   §  1301.  INFILL  HOUSING  PILOT  PROGRAM. THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND
 COMMUNITY  RENEWAL  SHALL  MAKE  CAPITAL  SUBSIDIES  AVAILABLE  FOR  THE
 PURPOSES  OF  BUILDING TWO THOUSAND ONE- TO TWO- FAMILY HOUSING UNITS IN
 THE CITY OF BUFFALO IN  A  FIVE  YEAR  PERIOD.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL
 PROMULGATE  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS SUFFICIENT FOR THE CREATION OF A NEW
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02989-01-5

 S. 1398                             2
 
 PROGRAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING SUCH ONE-  TO  TWO-  FAMILY  HOUSING
 UNITS AND SHALL PRIORITIZE FOR DEVELOPMENT VACANT LOTS OWNED BY THE CITY
 OF BUFFALO.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Housing, Construction And Community Development
Law Section:: Private Housing Finance Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 33 §§1300 & 1301, Priv Hous Fin L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:: S8585

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1398A

SPONSOR: RYAN S
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to estab-
lishing the block by block homeownership program

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would codify the Block-by-Block Homeownership Program, under
which the Division of Housing and Community Renewal constructs,
preserves, and rehabilitates one-to two-family homes in upstate cities.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: amends the Private Housing Finance Law to create a new Arti-
cle 33: Block by Block Homeownership Program. Section 1300 of this new
article outlines the need for new affordable housing development in
upstate New York, in particular, the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syra-
cuse, Albany, and Binghamton. Section 1300 outlines requirements that
this housing be accessible to low-to-moderate income earners.

Subsection 1301(1) of the new article describes the Block-by-Block
Homeownership Program. The Division of Housing and Community Renewal
(DHCR) is directed to make funding available for the construction, pres-
ervation, and rehabilitation of one- to two-family housing units in
cities with a population of less than one million, with a focus on the
cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton.  DHCR is
further directed to promulgate regulations to put this plan into effect.

Subsection 1301(2) specifies that funding for the program shall be
prioritized in the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and
Binghamton.

Subsection 1301(3) specifies that houses built under the Block-by-Block
Homeownership Program shall be sold to low- or moderate-income individ-
uals or families, or to non-profits for the purposes of resale to such
individuals or families.

Subsection 1301(4) specifies that subsequent sales shall only be made to
low-and moderate-income individuals and families who own no other real
property and who intend to use the dwelling as their primary residence.

Subsection 1301(5) specifies that additional loans or grants may be used
in conjunction with this program.

Section 2: effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

There are currently 13,000 residential vacant lots in the City of
Buffalo, including roughly 7,500 owned by the city. These vacant lots
currently sit languishing, providing little to no tax revenue to the
city or county. They also serve as a source of blight for communities,
driving down the value of surrounding homes. Utilizing infill housing
that matches the style of the community will simultaneously increase
supply, making housing more affordable for new buyers, while improving
the quality of the neighborhoods in which they are built, which will
increase the value of surrounding homes.  In addition, these new homes
will generate millions in tax revenue that can be used to further
improve the livability and desirability of the cities in which they are
built.

Housing prices are on the rise throughout the state. In many areas the
culprit is a low supply of turn-key ready real estate on the market.
Buffalo is a prime example of this phenomenon, as supply has consistent-
ly failed to keep pace with demand. Out of the largest 100 metro areas
in the United States, Buffalo ranked second to last in housing supply as
of January 2023, with just over a month's worth of housing supply. When
combined with the rising population in the city, a perfect storm of low
supply and high demand has created an extremely tight housing market,
making it difficult for new homebuyers to enter the market. This is a
common pattern across upstate cities, including Rochester, Syracuse,
Albany, and Binghamton.

Housing is also an economic and racial justice issue. In the City of
Buffalo, two-thirds of households make less than $70,000. Combined with
home prices that have been inflated by low supply, this means that the
mortgage payment on an average home is a significant obstacle to those
who might want to enter the housing market. This problem is exacerbated
when considering the housing gap between white households and black
households. While homeownership rates for white people have risen to
more than 70% nationwide, the black homeownership rate has stayed stag-
nant at around 34%. Research has found that the gap in Buffalo is even
wider than the national average. Addressing this gap should be a priori-
ty for the state, and one of the best ways that goal can be accomplished
is by increasing housing supply and lowering housing costs.

The Block-by-Block Program seeks to remedy these issues by building one-
and two-family homes on vacant lots that fit the aesthetic of existing
neighborhoods, and selling them at affordable prices to low and moderate
income individuals and families across upstate New York, with a focus on
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024: S.8585/A.9918 Referred to Housing

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:.
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1398--A
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. S. RYAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
   Community  Development  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation  to  estab-
   lishing the block by block homeownership program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The private housing finance law is amended by adding a  new
 article 33 to read as follows:
                              ARTICLE XXXIII
                   BLOCK BY BLOCK HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM
 SECTION 1300. LEGISLATIVE PURPOSE.
         1301. BLOCK BY BLOCK HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM.
   §  1300.  LEGISLATIVE  PURPOSE.  IT  IS HEREBY DECLARED AND FOUND THAT
 THERE EXISTS ACROSS UPSTATE NEW YORK, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE CITIES  OF
 BUFFALO,  ROCHESTER,  SYRACUSE,  ALBANY,  AND  BINGHAMTON, A SHORTAGE OF
 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.  IT  IS  FURTHER  FOUND
 THAT  HOMEOWNERSHIP  IS  ESSENTIAL FOR BUILDING GENERATIONAL WEALTH, AND
 THAT THE STATE THEREFORE HAS AN INTEREST IN PROMOTING HOMEOWNERSHIP.  IN
 ORDER,  FURTHER,  TO  PROMOTE  HOMEOWNERSHIP, IT IS HEREBY DECLARED THAT
 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS SHOULD BE MADE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC  MONIES  FOR  THE
 PURPOSES OF CONSTRUCTING, PRESERVING, AND REHABILITATING ONE- TO TWO-FA-
 MILY  DWELLINGS  ON  UNDERUTILIZED  LAND  THROUGHOUT  THE STATE, WITH AN
 EMPHASIS ON THE CITIES OF  BUFFALO,  ROCHESTER,  SYRACUSE,  ALBANY,  AND
 BINGHAMTON FOR PURCHASE BY LOW AND MODERATE INCOME BUYERS.  THE NECESSI-
 TY  IN  THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE IS HEREBY
 DECLARED AS A MATTER OF LEGISLATIVE DETERMINATION.
   § 1301. BLOCK BY BLOCK HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM.  1.    THE  DIVISION  OF
 HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL, SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, DEVELOP A
 PROGRAM   TO  MAKE  CAPITAL  SUBSIDIES  AVAILABLE  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02989-02-5

 S. 1398--A                          2
 
 CONSTRUCTING, PRESERVING, AND REHABILITATING ONE- TO  TWO-FAMILY  DWELL-
 INGS  OUTSIDE  OF  A  CITY WITH A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE. THE
 COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS SUFFICIENT  FOR  THE
 CREATION  OF  A NEW PROGRAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSTRUCTING, PRESERVING,
 AND REHABILITATING SUCH ONE- TO TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS.
   2. FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM CREATED PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE SHALL,  TO
 THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, BE PRIORITIZED IN THE CITIES OF BUFFALO, ROCHES-
 TER,  SYRACUSE,  ALBANY, AND BINGHAMTON FOR DEVELOPMENT ON VACANT, ABAN-
 DONED, OR UNDERUTILIZED LAND OWNED BY THE MUNICIPALITY.
   3. DWELLINGS CREATED PURSUANT TO THIS PROGRAM SHALL BE SOLD TO A  NOT-
 FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF RESALE OR INDIVIDUALS OR FAMI-
 LIES  WHO  ARE  LOW OR MODERATE INCOME, AS DETERMINED BY THE DIVISION OF
 HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, AT THE TIME OF SALE,  WHO  OWN  NO  OTHER
 REAL PROPERTY, AND WHO INTEND TO USE THE DWELLING AS THEIR PRIMARY RESI-
 DENCE.
   4.  THE  DIVISION  OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL RESTRICT ANY
 SUBSEQUENT DEED OF SALE TO AN INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY OF  LOW  OR  MODERATE
 INCOME,  AS DETERMINED BY THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL,
 WHO INTENDS TO MAKE THE DWELLING THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
   5. NOTHING IN THIS ARTICLE SHALL PRECLUDE THE USE OF ADDITIONAL  LOANS
 OR GRANTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS PROGRAM.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S1398A

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Housing, Construction And Community Development Committee

Bill Amendments

2025-S1398 - Details

2025-S1398 - Summary

2025-S1398 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1398 - Bill Text download pdf

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S1398A

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Sean M. Ryan

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Housing, Construction And Community Development Committee

Bill Amendments

2025-S1398 - Details

2025-S1398 - Summary

2025-S1398 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1398 - Bill Text download pdf

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1398A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments