Senate Housing Committee Passes Squadron Bill to Make Mitchell-Lama Housing More Accessible

ALBANY -- Today, the NY State Senate Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development passed Senator Daniel Squadron's bill to make the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program more accessible to middle class families.

Current law stipulates that families with two or more dependents -- whose joint annual net income exceeds 100% but is below 125% of average median income (AMI) -- are eligible for Mitchell-Lama housing if they pay a rental surcharge. But by making this allowance available only to families with dependents, many families are excluded simply because they don’t have children. 

Senator Squadron's legislation (S226/A5438) eliminates this requirement, making Mitchell-Lama housing developments accessible to a greater number of families regardless of whether they have dependents -- allowing families with a broader range of income levels and family compositions than are currently eligible to become part of the Mitchell-Lama community.

"Mitchell-Lama was created to ensure that middle class families have access to real affordable housing," said Senator Squadron. "My bill would ensure that more middle income families have access to the affordable housing they need, so that more families can make a life here. Thank you to my colleagues on the Housing Committee for moving this important bill forward, and to Speaker Silver and Assemblymember Millman for their leadership on this issue in Albany and in our community. I urge quick Senate passage."

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