The next housing chair will set Albany’s agenda on key policies that impact the industry. But everyone is wondering which state senator will take over after Sen. Kavanagh retires.
Speculation swirled among state lawmakers and housing honchos in Puerto Rico for the annual Somos legislative conference, where affordability dominated post-election conversations.
Potential leaders who attendees floated to run the pivotal standing committee on housing, construction and community development included State Sen. Julia Salazar of Brooklyn and Queens, Liz Kreuger of Manhattan and Rachel May, whose district spans Syracuse and other upstate counties.
Outgoing chair Brian Kavanagh, who sponsored the Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants Act that would expand rent stabilization beyond the five boroughs, announced in February that he wouldn’t run for re-election and cited the need for a new generation of leadership.
His track record atop the committee made him unpopular in real estate circles alongside his Assembly counterpart Linda Rosenthal. Together, they crafted the polarizing Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
The prospect of a DSA-aligned chair setting the housing agenda hasn’t deterred many from considering Salazar as a serious contender for the seat, especially when framed against Krueger, who City & State reported will likely face opposition from groups advocating to build more housing after her past clashes on increasing density in Manhattan. As current chair of the finance committee, Krueger has expressed that she is prepared to move into a legislative leadership role, even after recovering from a stroke this past spring.
Salazar introduced the Tenant Power Act last session, which would give renters a path to collective bargaining and a window into landlord finances, and co-sponsored a bill that would create commercial rent stabilization for small businesses.
Despite her position to Kavanagh’s left and her landmark good cause eviction bill, Salazar fits some criteria floated by advocates who are otherwise politically divergent. Groups like Open New York and Abundance New York supported Salazar’s re-election, citing her housing record.
New York Apartment Association CEO Kenny Burgos declined to name his top pick, but did provide a geographic preference as a key factor for any housing chair successor.
“I am not the speaker, nor the majority leader, so I don’t get to choose that,” Burgos said. “My hope is that the housing chair is someone from New York City, ideally outer boroughs. Without a shot to Manhattan, I think we can all agree that the housing experience in Manhattan is fundamentally different than it is with every other borough.”
What we’re thinking about: Who do you think has a chance of becoming the next housing chair? Let me know at ben.miller@therealdeal.com.
A thing we’ve learned: A giant inflatable King Kong attached to the Empire State Building in 1983 for the 50th anniversary of the classic movie repeatedly deflated after the balloon ripped, prompting onlookers to compare it to another famous movie monster, The Blob.
Elsewhere…
— Mayor Mamdani’s administration is bringing back the city’s lien sale, despite campaign promises to end the practice of selling property owners’ municipal debts to investors, according to The City Reporter. The next sale will take place in mid-2027 before the authorization under local law expires the following year, with administration officials citing the collection of overdue taxes and the need to contact delinquent owners early to give them a chance to pay and avoid potential foreclosure.
— The NYPD is instructing officers to stop handing out tickets for spitting and vehicle idling in some cases, also cutting back on summonses for jaywalking, according to internal department guidance issued Friday that was reviewed by Gothamist. Some New Yorkers have criticized the police’s so-called quality-of-life crackdown, but an NYPD spokesperson said officers were writing these types of summonses in response to an increased number of 311 complaints from residents.
— Since securing the release of a college student from ICE detention in February, Mayor Mamdani has provided President Donald Trump’s team with the names of about two dozen more immigrant New Yorkers in federal immigration custody, asking the president to order their release, Politico reported.
Closing time
Residential: The most expensive residential sale recorded Monday was $21.5 million for 255 East 77th Street, PHE. The Upper East Side condo is 5,200 square feet, making it $4,100 per square foot. Compass’ Alexa Lambert, Alison Black and Shelton Smith had the listing.
Commercial: The most expensive commercial transaction recorded was $18 million for 1190 Sixth Avenue. The mixed-use commercial and residential building has four total units and 5,600 square feet of gross floor area.
New to the Market: The highest price for a residential property hitting the market is $12.5 million for 1107 Fifth Avenue, Unit 6N. The Upper East Side co-op is 5,000 square feet. The Corcoran Group’s Jennifer Reardon, Leighton Candler and Rachel Brandeis have the listing.
Breaking Ground: The largest new building permit filed was for a proposed 349,657-square-foot, 12-story affordable housing complex at 126-16 38th Avenue in Willets Point. Timothy Fryatt of Marvel Architects is the applicant of record.
— Joseph Jungermann
