Co-ops and Condos United of NY launches to establish advocacy for homeowners

Manhattan, NY A coalition of co-op and condo owners from across the five boroughs have formed Co-ops and Condos United of NY, a grassroots advocacy group charged with representing the interests of the more than one million New York homeowners who live in this type of housing. Co-ops and Condos United of NY has been established to ensure the voice of this critical community is not left behind. Co-ops and Condos United aims to ensure that this significant constituency has a strong, coordinated voice in legislative and policy discussions at both the city and state levels.

Co-ops and Condos United is focused on advocating for policies that protect and support co-op and condo owners across New York. At the state level, this includes the renewal of the J51-R program, opposition to the Cooperative Corporations Law, support for establishing a condo first lien and seeking exemption from the Scaffold Law. At the city level, the coalition is engaged on reforms to Local Law 97 and Local Law 11, while supporting the Co-op Carve Out Bill. 

New York City is grappling with a cost of living crisis that is impacting nearly all New Yorkers, including the more than one million city residents who live in co-ops and condominiums. However, the affordability discussions have largely focused on issues impacting renters, leaving the challenges facing co-op and condo owners out of the conversation. 

Co-op and condo board members and residents face increasing regulatory and financial pressures that threaten their sustainability and self-governance. With challenges ranging from property tax burdens to compliance with expensive government mandates, co-op and condo owners are on the front lines of the city’s affordability crisis. 

At their inaugural meeting on Thursday, February 26 2026, Co-ops and Condos United of NY brought together representatives from more than 100,000 units – the beginning of a collaborative effort to strengthen advocacy, improve communication, and protect the interests of these homeowners across New York. 

The purpose of the meeting was twofold: to outline the organization’s outreach efforts and to gather direct input from community leaders so that co-ops and condos can act collectively on issues that affect homeowners throughout the city and state.

“Co-ops and condos have taken a backseat for far too long in the political process in both New York City and New York State,” said Stuart Saft, executive member of Co-ops and Condos United. “Our intention is to provide a unified organization so that we can speak with one voice on the issues that matter most to our communities.”

“Co-op and condo owners constitute the majority of New York’s middle class, from young families, to retirees, and everyone in between. As long-term residents, they are the cornerstone of their neighborhoods. For years, we’ve been hearing from boards and shareholders that they are facing escalating costs, both from needed capital improvements and from unexpected unfunded mandates. They are not exempt from New York’s cost-of-living crisis and their voice needs to be represented in the public policy conversation.” Jane Menton, legislative director of Co-ops and Condos United.

Co-op and condo homeowners are on the front lines of New York’s affordability crisis, yet for too long our voices have been ignored in the policy debate,” said Michael Wolfe, Executive Member of Co-ops and Condos United. “More than one million New Yorkers depend on co-ops and condos as a vital path to homeownership, but they are being squeezed by rising property taxes and costly, unfunded mandates. Co-ops and Condos United was formed to ensure policymakers hear directly from the people living with these consequences and to advance fair, practical solutions that protect affordability and preserve our communities.”

“Co-op and condo homeowners make up a significant and vital part of New York City’s housing landscape, yet for far too long their collective voice has been muffled. Co-ops and Condos United of NY was created to unify that voice — to ensure that whether you live in a limited-equity co-op, a building on Park Ave., or a co-op in the outer boroughs, you are heard on the critical issues that impact our entire community” said Geoffrey Mazel, Executive Member of Co-ops and Condos United.

“Co-op and condo residents are facing a cost-of-living crisis, and our City must act as a lifeline to protect housing affordability for those who have been most affected,” said council member Linda Lee, chair of the committee on finance. “Co-ops and condos were once a pathway to affordable homeownership. As our City grapples with the challenge of affordability, I look forward to working with community leaders and advocates to ensure that their voices are heard and to preserve the foundations of strong and stable neighborhoods.”

“For too long, working- and middle-class co-op and condo homeowners in Brooklyn have been overlooked by local government. Bringing their voices together around the issues that matter most is an important step forward, and I look forward to working closely with them to ensure they are heard and represented,” said NYS senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton