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A 11137

Requires community median income be used by certain affordable housing programs in a city having a population of one million or more

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brian Cunningham

Requires state-funded affordable housing in NYC-size cities to use ZIP code community median income to set eligibility and rents for new projects (federal-funded programs exempt).

REFERRED TO HOUSING
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Bill Summary · A 11137

Bill Summary: A 11137 (2025-2026) – New York

Overview

  • Jurisdiction: New York
  • Status: Introduced April 24, 2026; referred to the Committee on Housing
  • Sponsor: Assembly Member Cunningham (co-sponsor: Brian Cunningham)
  • Title: Requires community median income be used by certain affordable housing programs in a city having a population of one million or more

Purpose and Intent

The bill mandates that in large cities (pop. 1 million or more), affordable housing programs funded with state money use a specific metric—community median income—to determine income eligibility and rent levels for affordable units. The aim is to align eligibility and rents with the income profile of local communities at the ZIP-code level, potentially improving targeting and equity in affordable housing access.

Key Provisions

Definition

  • “Community median income” is defined as the median income for individuals by ZIP code, based on the most recent federal census data.

Applicability and Requirements

  • In cities with populations of 1,000,000 or more, any affordable housing program that uses state funding covering 33% or more of construction costs for a building or buildings initiated after the act’s effective date must:
    • Use community median income to determine:
    • Income eligibility for applicants
    • Rent levels for affordable units
    • Criteria within affordable housing lotteries and programs inside those buildings
  • Programs that utilize federal funding sources are exempt from these requirements.

Effective Date

  • The act becomes effective on January 1 of the year following enactment.

Who and What Is Affected

Affected Parties

  • Affordable housing programs in large New York City-size cities (population ≥ 1,000,000) that:
    • Are funded by state dollars covering at least 33% of construction costs
    • Initiated after the act’s effective date
  • Applicants and residents in those programs who would be subject to income eligibility and rent determinations based on ZIP-code-level community median income

Exemptions

  • Programs using federal funding sources are exempt from this requirement.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduction and Referral: April 24, 2026; referred to the Assembly Committee on Housing
  • Effective Date: January 1 following enactment
  • Implementation Considerations: Requires sourcing and applying ZIP-code level median incomes from federal census data; will influence how eligibility and rents are calculated for new state-funded affordable housing developments.

Potential Implications

  • Shifts in eligibility and rent levels to reflect local ZIP-code income profiles, which could:
    • Increase affordability precision for some neighborhoods
    • Potentially change applicant pools and lottery outcomes within affected buildings
    • Create administrative requirements to determine and update ZIP-code median incomes per the latest census data
  • Exemption for projects with federal funding preserves current federal eligibility rules for those programs

If you’d like, I can add a quick comparison to current NY practices or outline implementation steps and data sources a program would need to adopt this approach.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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