Council passes scaled-back nonprofit property COPA bill year after Adams veto, cutting its potential reach by nearly 80%

The City Council on Thursday resurrected a controversial housing bill vetoed by former Mayor Eric Adams, approving a dramatically scaled-back measure that would give nonprofits first crack at buying certain apartment buildings. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA, passed on Oct. 22 after lawmakers narrowed its reach by nearly 80%, from roughly 10,000 buildings to 2,100, following months of negotiations aimed at addressing legal concerns and opposition from the real estate industry. The legislation, sponsored by Brooklyn Council Member Sandy Nurse, would give qualified nonprofit housing organizations an early opportunity to purchase certain distressed and affordable residential buildings when their owners decide to sell, with the goal of preventing displacement and preserving affordable housing. The bill passed by a vote of 38 to 9, with two abstentions, and now heads to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has pledged to sign it. Its passage marks a political comeback for legis