On Thursday, October 22, 2026, the New York City Council passed the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) by a vote of 38 to 9, with two abstentions. As of October 25, 2026, the bill sits on Mayor Zohran Mamdani's desk — he has said he intends to sign it, but he has not yet done so. So COPA is passed, not yet law.
If you own a small apartment building on Staten Island and you're thinking about selling, here's what COPA would change for you — and what it would not.
What happens when you sell a covered building
Under COPA, when the owner of a covered building intends to sell, the owner must notify the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). HPD then notifies its certified nonprofit buyers — including community land trusts, sometimes working with a private development partner.
Those nonprofits get 20 days to express interest and another 70 days to submit an offer. You are not required to accept that offer. But if you later accept an offer from an outside buyer, the nonprofit that made the first offer generally gets 15 days to match that price and terms. If no nonprofit expresses interest, you proceed to the open market. Trade groups estimate the process can add up to about 145 days to a sale.
Is your building covered?
Far fewer buildings than the original proposal. COPA applies to Class A multiple dwellings with at least four units that meet a distress test — for example, buildings in HPD's Alternative Enforcement Program, buildings facing in-rem foreclosure over unpaid taxes and fines, buildings under qualifying correction orders, or buildings with a high threshold of housing code violations. Buildings with up to 100 units that carry certain affordability restrictions are also covered, while buildings with as-of-right tax benefits such as 421-a or 485-x are exempt.
Two exemptions matter most to small owners: properties with fewer than four units are not covered, and owner-occupied buildings with five or fewer units are exempt. HPD estimates roughly 2,100 buildings citywide would currently qualify, down from about 10,000 under earlier versions. Roughly 300 buildings sold last year would have met the criteria.
What it means for a Staten Island seller
For most Staten Island homeowners, COPA changes nothing. The borough's housing stock is overwhelmingly one-, two-, and three-family homes, and those properties are outside the bill entirely. Selling your two-family home works exactly as it does today.
Where it matters is the borough's small multifamily market. If you own a four-or-more-unit building with serious violations — particularly on the North Shore, where much of the borough's older multifamily stock sits — check the building's HPD enforcement status before you list. If the building is covered, your sale could pause for a nonprofit window. The bill also includes a process to seek an exemption based on financial hardship, though the details will depend on HPD's rules.
Even if the mayor signs it, COPA would not take effect immediately. It takes effect one year after becoming law, and HPD must still write the rules and certify the participating nonprofits. Legal challenges are widely expected.
The arguments on both sides
Supporters, including tenant advocates and community land trusts, say troubled buildings are exactly the ones most at risk of being bought by speculators, with tenants displaced or conditions left to deteriorate — and that community groups usually learn a building is for sale only after a conventional buyer has already moved faster. COPA gives them a defined window to organize financing and make a real offer.
Opponents, including small-property-owner groups, say the bill delays sales by months, adds uncertainty, and discourages investment in exactly the buildings that need capital most. They question whether nonprofits will have the money to close deals and fund the repairs these buildings need, and argue the bill treats a symptom rather than the causes of distress, such as rising operating costs and repair backlogs. Staten Island Council Member Frank Morano, who voted against the bill, called it unconstitutional.
Bottom line
COPA is a real change, but a narrow one. It does not touch the typical Staten Island house sale. For a defined set of distressed multifamily buildings, it adds a new first step — and a new delay — to a sale. Its practical effect will depend on the mayor's signature, HPD's rules, and whether the courts let it stand.
Disclosure: The author is a licensed New York real estate agent and a Staten Island investor who buys houses directly. Questions about selling? Call (917) 335-7258.