Preservation of Mitchell-Lama Tenant Developments
Resolution Adopted by the Democratic
State Convention --
WHEREAS the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program is a New York State program that has been widely recognized as one of the most successful middle-income housing programs in American history, and
WHEREAS, many Mitchell-Lama housing complexes have reached, or will soon reach, the time at which they can be removed from the program by the Limited Profit Housing Companies deciding to opt-out of the program, and
WHEREAS, the federal, New York State and New York City governments have invested billions of dollars in building Mitchell-Lama housing, while the Limited Profit Housing Companies have invested relatively little, and
WHEREAS, the likely widespread decisions by Mitchell-Lama Limited Profit Housing Companies to opt-out of the program will remove many thousands of units of moderate-income housing from the market, and create a steep rise in rents for both current and future tenants, forcing many existing tenants to leave Manhattan and tilting the economic balance in Manhattan even further towards having only wealthy residents,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the New York State Democratic Committee calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and upon the Governor to sign into law, legislation that establishes a joint legislative committee to examine alternatives to the removal of Mitchell-Lama tenant developments from the Mitchell-Lama program without the prior written approval of a majority of existing tenants residing therein; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that pending the issuance of a report based on such study, such legislation shall provide for a moratorium on any further removal of Mitchell-Lama developments from the program absent tenant approval.
This resolution was Written and Introduced
by