A years-long campaign to give qualified nonprofit and community partnerships a chance to buy distressed buildings broke through in the City Council Thursday. Supporters expect the mayor to sign the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) into law.

It was so close and yet, so far. But now the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) appears to have broken through for good.

The bill passed the City Council for the second time in less than a year Thursday, and will head next to the mayor’s desk.

After lawmakers passed it for the first time in December 2025, former Mayor Eric Adams’ eleventh-hour veto prevented the bill from becoming law.

COPA failed to gain the requisite support for an override when the Council resumed in January, but new Council Speaker Julie Menin promised to keep working on the bill, which gives pre-qualified nonprofits, including those working with community or tenant-led groups, an early shot at bidding on certain distressed apartment buildings.

Supporters say it would ensure troubled buildings are sold to trusted entities that could preserve affordability. But real estate groups complained that it would slow down transactions, and disadvantage other buyers.

Now, all the ducks seem to be in a row. Speaker Menin, after abstaining from voting on COPA last year, called the reintroduced bill for a vote and the City Council voted 38 to nine to send it to the mayor (two lawmakers abstained).

Mamdani, who included the measure in his housing plan, is expected to sign it into law.

"COPA puts the power in the hands of tenants and community organizations, and we’re building on that power with a historic investment in affordable housing preservation," said Mayor Mamdani in a statement Thursday evening. "I look forward to signing this bill into law."

Nurse and fellow lawmakers made several changes to the bill compared to previous versions, including narrowing the breadth of property sales the law would apply to.

"Today we are going to end the six-year saga of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Action in the Council," said sponsor and Councilmember Sandy Nurse. "Preserving some of the housing we already have is the most immediate way to stop displacement."

Even the Real Estate Board Of New York (REBNY), once staunchly opposed to COPA , seemed to stand down.

"REBNY appreciates the constructive engagement and thoughtful leadership of Speaker Menin and Council Member Nurse, which has resulted in a more targeted and practical bill," said President James Whelan in a statement last week. "We value their commitment to refining the proposal and look forward to continuing to work with the Council to preserve affordable housing, protect tenants and support the creation of more homes for New Yorkers."

New York City faces a persistent housing crisis, with vacancy rates under 1 percent and rapidly rising rents. Supporters of the bill hope that it will help some living in affordable housing stay in their homes, instead of getting priced out, by giving preservation-minded buyers a stronger shot to buy their buildings.

The original legislation was first introduced in 2020 and took years to build momentum. The modified bill approved Thursday exempts some smaller properties and instead targets those that are "distressed" as measured by a certain number of housing code violations.