NEW YORK, NY — New York State Senator Erik Bottcher and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero today unveiled the Build More, Get More Act (S10503B), new legislation designed to accelerate housing production across New York State by providing direct financial incentives to municipalities that build more homes.

The Build More, Get More Act would provide municipalities with $10,000 for every net new housing unit built in their communities. The program would be a straightforward financial incentive for communities across New York State to increase housing production, while providing additional resources to municipalities experiencing growth as New York confronts a statewide housing shortage.

The legislation would give municipalities broad flexibility to use the funding to address local needs associated with growth, including investments in water and sewer systems, schools, parks, streets and transit; affordable housing; planning and building departments; public safety and emergency services; climate resilience and green infrastructure; community facilities; and property tax relief.

“New York needs a direct and straightforward financial incentive to build more housing,” said State Senator Erik Bottcher. “For every new home a community builds, the state should put real dollars back into that community. No complicated formulas, no hoops to jump through. Build more homes, get more funding. If we want New York to build at the scale this housing crisis demands, we should put our money where our mouth is.”

“New York’s housing crisis calls for creative solutions that make it easier for municipalities to say yes to new housing. The Build More, Get More Act creates a powerful incentive for new housing development by putting resources directly into the hands of local municipalities who know the needs of their communities best,” said Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero (D,WFP–Albany, Guilderland, New Scotland). “When we give communities the means to invest in the infrastructure, public services, and other resources that come with growth, we can make sure new housing strengthens our neighborhoods and creates opportunities for everyone. Building more homes and building stronger communities go hand in hand, and this legislation gives local governments the resources they need to do both.”

New York continues to face a significant housing shortage that has contributed to rising rents, home prices and housing instability. At the same time, local governments considering new residential development must account for the costs of infrastructure, municipal services, planning and other needs associated with population growth. The Build More, Get More Act seeks to better align the State’s housing goals with the fiscal interests of local governments by ensuring communities directly share in the benefits of housing production.

The proposal would reward housing production at all income levels while providing larger incentives for housing that addresses New York’s most significant affordability needs.

State Senator Julia Salazar said, “The Build More, Get More Act would provide a straightforward financial incentive for towns and cities across New York to increase their housing supply, alleviating the burden created by our housing shortage. Across our state, we have to make it easier for communities to build more homes, and that’s exactly what this legislation does. If passed into law, it would be a simple, yet effective tool.”

Senator Patricia Fahy (D—Albany) said, “Communities across the state are experiencing a housing crisis that is stagnating the American Dream of homeownership for thousands of New York families and leaving working families out in the cold. This legislation is designed to reward communities who invest in creative solutions to the housing crisis and the construction of new units, a commonsense approach that can help local governments confront the worst of this crisis. Any effort we take to lower the cost of housing and get more New Yorkers into homes and units will be another tool in our toolbox to expand access to housing.”

State Senator Lea Webb said, “Housing access is a critical need across our entire state, especially in the Southern Tier region that I represent. This issue has significant challenges, one of which is the rising cost of construction which impacts the ability to bring more housing online. The ‘Build More, Get More Act’ creates monetary incentives for our municipalities to build new homes and will provide additional support to localities for creating more affordable housing. To fully and comprehensively address housing shortages, we must use various strategies and collaborate between all levels of government. This bill will do exactly that. I appreciate and support the work of my colleagues Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero in advancing this legislation.”

State Senator Jeremy J. Zellner said, “New York needs more housing, but we also have to recognize what we are asking of the communities that build it. The Build More, Get More Act gives municipalities a real incentive to be part of the solution by putting state resources behind communities that create new housing. Those dollars can go right back into the infrastructure, public services and local priorities that make responsible growth possible. If we want communities across New York to build more housing, we should give them the tools and resources to do it. I’m proud to support Senator Bottcher’s legislation and this approach to increasing housing supply across our state.”

Assemblymember Steven Raga said, “New York must increase our housing stock to confront the housing shortage crisis, while giving communities the resources to support that growth. The Build More, Get More Act incentivizes municipalities to create the homes New Yorkers desperately need, while providing additional support for affordable, supportive and public housing. I’m proud to join Assemblymember Romero, Senator Bottcher, our colleagues and housing advocates in calling for its passage.”

Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging, said, “Older New Yorkers living on a fixed income deserve to have affordable, safe, and permanent housing. The Build More, Get More Act will ensure older New Yorkers are able to stay in their homes thanks to the critical investments this legislation will deliver to municipalities. The Build More, Get More Act will ensure that New York’s untapped potential in the housing market can deliver truly affordable housing within our communities. I strongly support the Build More, Get More Act and applaud my colleagues Senator Erik Bottcher and Assembly Member Gabriella Romero for their leadership in introducing this critical piece of legislation.”

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “With Manhattan’s average market rent spiking to $6,655, it’s clear New York is facing an unprecedented housing affordability crisis which demands urgent action. I’m proud to support Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero’s Build More, Get More Act, which creates innovative financial incentives for municipalities to build direly needed housing. I’m grateful to Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero for their leadership on this critical issue, and commit to working together with all of my elected colleagues to continue delivering real housing relief for Manhattanites.”

New York City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu said, “As we face down a housing crisis, we need solutions that make it easier to build more units, faster. This bill does just that. The Build More, Get More Act’s creative financial incentive ensures that communities have the resources they need to support growth and improve housing affordability for New Yorkers. We’re lucky to have leaders in Albany like Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero who are taking this fight head-on.”

New York City Council Member Carl Wilson said, “New York’s housing crisis demands that we build more homes, but communities also need the resources to support that growth. The Build More, Get More Act creates a simple, meaningful incentive for municipalities to say yes to new housing while investing in the infrastructure and services their residents rely on. I’m proud to stand with Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero in advancing a policy that can help us build more affordable homes and stronger communities across New York.”

Urban Pathways CEO Gary P. Jenkins said, "Urban Pathways commends the leadership of State Senator Erik Bottcher and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero in putting forth this pioneering legislation. Throughout our history, Urban Pathways has always sought out innovative, solution-driven approaches to combatting homelessness, and this bill works in that vein, proposing a novel way to address an issue that has created barriers to building new housing in the past. By incentivizing municipalities to build, this bill aims to not only bring more critically needed affordable and supportive housing to the city, but also help address other pressing issues communities are facing."

Annemarie Gray, Executive Director, Open New York said, "Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero are showing real leadership by putting housing at the center of the conversation in Albany. New York's housing affordability crisis is the biggest challenge facing families in every corner of the state, and communities that say yes to more homes are part of the solution. When we build more homes, we allow families and generations of New Yorkers to live, work, and stay in the communities they call home."

NY Building Congress President & CEO Carlo Scissura said, "The Build More, Get More Act gets incentives right. For too long, municipalities that step up to build housing have had to bear the costs alone while the benefits spread far beyond their borders. This legislation flips that equation, rewarding communities that say yes to growth instead of punishing them for it. Senator Bottcher and Assemblymember Romero understand that solving New York's housing crisis means giving every community a reason to build more, not less. The Building Congress is proud to support this legislation and urges its swift passage."

Tal Roded, member of Manhattan Community Board 3 said, ”As a community board member, I have watched many worthy housing proposals die due to concerns over the localized costs of growth. Housing policy fails without funding to support the necessary infrastructure. This bill puts state dollars directly in support of building new homes and the local infrastructure needed to support them, which gives local leaders more reason to say yes to new housing instead of finding reasons to say no."

HOW THE BUILD MORE, GET MORE ACT WOULD WORK

Under the Build More, Get More Act, the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation would administer an incentive fund providing payments to municipalities based on the number of eligible net new housing units produced within their borders.

Eligible housing would include rental and homeownership housing, affordable and supportive housing, senior housing, accessory dwelling units, conversions of nonresidential buildings to residential use, mixed-use developments with residential units, and public and other publicly assisted housing. 

The legislation establishes different incentive levels depending on the type of housing produced:

● $10,000 for each net new housing unit;

● $15,000 for each net new affordable housing unit serving households earning up to 80 percent of Area Median Income;

● $20,000 for each net new deeply affordable, supportive, public or formerly homeless housing unit; and

● $5,000 for each net new accessory dwelling unit.

Municipalities that have been designated by New York State as Pro-Housing Communities would receive a 25 percent bonus on their incentive payments.

The legislation deliberately provides municipalities with flexibility over how these resources are spent. Eligible uses would include sewer and water infrastructure; schools, parks, streets, transit and public spaces; planning, zoning and building department staffing; affordable housing preservation and production; code enforcement; public safety and emergency services; climate resiliency and green infrastructure; property tax relief; and community facilities.

Funding would not have to be spent on the specific housing development that generated the award, allowing local governments to direct resources toward the needs and priorities of the broader community.

The Build More, Get More Act also includes safeguards intended to ensure the program rewards additions to New York’s housing supply. Municipalities could not generate incentive payments by demolishing occupied housing without replacement, converting protected affordable housing to market-rate housing, creating sham dwelling-unit classifications, or violating applicable fair housing, environmental, labor or tenant-protection laws.

Where existing housing is demolished or converted, payments would generally be based only on the net increase in the municipality’s housing supply, with exceptions for replacement housing providing greater affordability or a deeper public benefit.

Participating municipalities would submit annual housing-production data to the State, and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation would verify the information using certificates of occupancy, building permits, assessment rolls and other state and local records. The Housing Trust Fund Corporation would also publish an annual report detailing payments, housing production, affordable housing production and the regional distribution of awards.

Read the full text of the Build More, Get More Act: S10503B.

###