Renew J-51 to help co-ops pay for green building upgrades!
NYC Council
We successfully passed a bigger, better J-51 in the State budget this Spring, but now the ball is in City Council’s court.
J-51 is an affordable housing tax credit and is one of the most impactful ways to address climate and affordability in New York, with the potential of helping over 350,000 families in NYC save money on green building improvements to lower emissions. Right now, we are lobbying the NYC Council to swiftly pass the local enabling legislation required to reauthorize the program.
We recently won major improvements to J-51 in the New York State Budget, which expanded eligibility to over 300,000 units and extended the program for 10 years. However, this tax break requires reauthorization by the NYC Council to become active. Without City action, thousands of affordable buildings will struggle to finance the essential upgrades—like façades, roofs, and clean energy retrofits—needed to meet Local Law 97 goals and avoid fines. We are asking Councilmembers to support reauthorization to protect affordability and ensure financial predictability for green building projects.
Sponsored by
To:
NYC Council
From:
[Your Name]
I'm a New Yorker concerned about cost of living and climate change. I'm writing to urge you to swiftly authorize the J-51 tax break for green and affordable housing.
The New York State Budget recently passed improvements to the J-51 program, including expanded eligibility to over 300,000 co-op and condo units, a 10-year extension, and a more generous coverage of certified building upgrade costs. These upgrades include urgent repairs to façades and roofs, as well as energy-efficiency and clean energy investments that can help lower energy bills and pollution.
But unless the City moves quickly to reauthorize J-51, affordable buildings will be unable to finance major repairs and green upgrades, stalling progress toward our climate goals under Local Law 97 and delaying New Yorkers from being able to take advantage of this vital building improvement measure.
Once reauthorized by the City, the J-51 program will ensure essential financial predictability for complex, multi-year capital projects. These repairs will not only support cleaner, healthier, and more affordable homes for hundreds of thousands of working families, but will also improve air quality and help address climate change for all of New York. We urge rapid action by the City to authorize J-51.