STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1894
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DAVILA, RAMOS, WEPRIN, WILLIAMS, WALKER, PRETLOW,
SIMON, COLTON, DICKENS, GLICK, COOK, CRUZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M.
of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Real Prop-
erty Taxation
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to tax exemptions
for community land trusts and income-restricted homeownership proper-
ties
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 420-a of the real property tax law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
3 17. Other than in a city having a population of one million or more,
4 any land owned by a community land trust and separately assessed
5 improvements owned by the residents thereof, shall be exempt from local
6 real property taxation and exempt from special ad valorem levies and
7 special assessments to the extent provided in section four hundred nine-
8 ty of this article.
9 (a) For the purposes of this subdivision, "community land trust" shall
10 mean a corporation organized pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation
11 law and exempt from taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the inter-
12 nal revenue code that satisfies the following criteria:
13 (i) such nonprofit corporation's purpose is the creation and mainte-
14 nance of permanently affordable single-family or multi-family resi-
15 dences;
16 (ii) all dwellings and units located on land owned by such nonprofit
17 corporation is sold to a qualified owner to be occupied as the qualified
18 owner's primary residence or rented to persons or families of low
19 income; and
20 (iii) any lease with the owner of a single-family home or multi-family
21 residence shall be for an initial term of ninety-nine years with renewal
22 rights under the same initial terms and conditions.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02428-01-3
A. 1894 2
1 (b) Failure to comply with the provisions of this subdivision that
2 require the development and preservation of permanently affordable
3 single-family or multi-family residences for persons or families of low
4 income at any time during the duration of the exemption shall result in
5 revocation of any exemption under this subdivision for the period of
6 such non-compliance. If an ongoing pattern of non-compliance is found to
7 exist, such exemption may be revoked from its inception.
8 (c) Enforcement of this subdivision shall be in addition to any other
9 provisions contained in this chapter or any other law.
10 (d) The revocation of an exemption authorized by this subdivision
11 shall not exempt a community land trust from continued compliance with
12 the requirements of this subdivision.
13 § 2. Section 422 of the real property tax law is amended by adding two
14 new subdivisions 3 and 4 to read as follows:
15 3. Exemption of income-restricted homeownership property in a munici-
16 pality with a population of less than one million. Income-restricted
17 homeownership property, including but not limited to a single or two-fa-
18 mily home or multi-family residence, which is owned by and operated
19 exclusively for the benefit of persons or families of low income as
20 defined in subdivision nineteen of section two of the private housing
21 finance law that is subject to a ground lease with a ninety-nine year
22 renewable term with a community land trust as defined in paragraph (a)
23 of subdivision seventeen of section four hundred twenty-a of this title,
24 which is not otherwise fully exempt from taxation, shall be assessed
25 based upon the resale and rent restrictions set forth in the ground
26 lease when determining the taxable value of such income-restricted
27 homeownership property. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivi-
28 sion, any local assessor that currently employs a method of property
29 assessment and taxation for any income-restricted homeownership property
30 as of the effective date of this subdivision that would result in a
31 lesser tax burden for such income-restricted homeowner may continue to
32 employ such method as if fully authorized by this subdivision.
33 4. Exemption from local real property taxation in a city having a
34 population of one million or more for certain low-income housing accom-
35 modations. (a) Eligible real property in a city having a population of
36 one million or more shall be exempt from local real property taxation
37 except as may be otherwise provided in the regulatory agreement of such
38 eligible real property. Such exemption from local real property taxa-
39 tion shall commence as of the effective date of the regulatory agree-
40 ment. Upon a default under the regulatory agreement or non-compliance
41 with this subdivision, the agency may suspend, reduce, terminate or
42 revoke such exemption, with respect to all or a portion of such eligible
43 real property as of the date of such default or non-compliance, unless
44 such default or non-compliance is cured within the time period specified
45 for any such cure under such regulatory agreement.
46 (b) For the purposes of this subdivision, the following terms shall
47 have the following meanings:
48 (1) The term "agency" shall mean the department of housing preserva-
49 tion and development.
50 (2) The term "community land trust" shall mean a corporation organized
51 pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation law for the purpose of devel-
52 oping and/or preserving housing accommodations that serve persons and
53 families of low income through its ownership and stewardship of the land
54 beneath such housing accommodations.
55 (3) The term "eligible entity" shall mean a corporation (i) that is a
56 housing development fund company formed pursuant to article eleven of
A. 1894 3
1 the private housing finance law and section four hundred two of the
2 not-for-profit corporation law and (ii) the certificate of incorporation
3 of which requires such housing development fund company to operate sole-
4 ly as a community land trust.
5 (4) The term "eligible real property" shall mean real property that
6 provides housing accommodations for persons and families of low income
7 pursuant to a regulatory agreement, provided that the land portion of
8 such real property is owned by an eligible entity.
9 (5) The term "persons and families of low income" shall have the mean-
10 ing set forth in subdivision nineteen of section two of the private
11 housing finance law.
12 (6) The term "regulatory agreement" shall mean a regulatory agreement
13 with or approved by the agency that (i) is executed or approved after
14 the effective date of this subdivision, (ii) requires the provision of
15 housing accommodations for persons and families of low income, (iii) is
16 recorded against the eligible real property, (iv) binds all parties in
17 interest to such eligible real property and their respective successors
18 and assigns and (v) includes such other terms and conditions as the
19 agency shall determine, including, but not limited to, provisions
20 requiring payments in lieu of taxes, for the purpose of developing
21 and/or preserving housing accommodations that serve persons and families
22 of low income.
23 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
24 assessment rolls published after the date this act shall have become a
25 law.