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Owner plans to sell
A covered owner gives the required notice before taking action to sell.
Start here · COPA NYC in plain English
What is COPA — and what would it mean for tenants?
COPA stands for the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act. The current New York City proposal would give qualified mission-driven buyers a protected chance to compete for certain apartment buildings when owners decide to sell. It is not a law requiring individual tenants to buy their apartments.
COPA in 60 seconds
If you heard “COPA” for the first time and are trying to figure out why tenants are organizing around it, start with these four things.
It is about a building sale.COPA matters when the owner of a covered property decides to sell or takes another covered action to sell.
Tenants do not each need a mortgage.The buyer finances the building as a property. The current NYC bill gives the purchase opportunity to HPD-certified qualified entities.
It creates time to intervene.Qualified entities would get notice, a window to express interest, time to make an offer, and in qualifying circumstances a chance to match a later offer.
It is not law yet.As of August 2026, Intro 905-2026 is pending in the City Council. The final law could change before passage.
The question almost every tenant asks first
“If COPA helps save our building, do all the tenants have to get mortgages?”
No. The building is financed as a building.
Under the current proposal, the purchase opportunity belongs to qualified entities certified by HPD — generally experienced nonprofit preservation organizations or qualifying nonprofit-led joint ventures. An eligible community land trust can be part of that pathway under the bill. Tenants do not each have to qualify for an individual mortgage.
What would happen in a real sale?
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20 days to raise a hand
Qualified entities have 20 calendar days to submit a statement of interest.
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Information is shared
An interested qualified entity can receive key property, rent, expense, mortgage and violation information.
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70 days for a first offer
Interested qualified entities get 70 calendar days to submit a bona fide first offer.
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A later offer may be matched
In qualifying circumstances, the first qualified bidder can receive a right of first refusal to match a later third-party offer.
Could COPA apply to my building?
Not every apartment building would be covered. Under the current proposal, a Class A multiple dwelling with at least four units must meet at least one statutory trigger, and exemptions also apply.
Trigger 1
Alternative Enforcement Program
The building has participated in HPD's Alternative Enforcement Program for at least one year.
Trigger 2
Distressed property / in-rem pathway
HPD has made the specific distressed-property determination required by the bill.
Trigger 3
Underlying Conditions order
The property has been subject to the specified HPD underlying-conditions order for at least one year.
Trigger 4
Serious violation rate
The property reaches the violation threshold defined in the bill.
Trigger 5
Certificate of No Harassment denial
HPD denied a CONH within the preceding year and the condition has not been cured as required.
Trigger 6
Affordability restriction nearing expiration
A property with no more than 100 units has a qualifying HPD income-based occupancy restriction set to expire within two years, excluding the specified 421-a requirement.
Trigger 7
Additional HPD criteria
HPD could establish additional qualifying criteria by rule consistent with the law.
Important exclusion
Small owner-occupied buildings
A building with five or fewer units is excluded when the owner permanently occupies one of the units.
Important: Affordable Forever's building screen identifies research signals. It does not determine legal eligibility.
What COPA does — and does not do
It does not force every landlord to sell.
The purchase process is tied to an owner's decision to pursue a covered sale.
It does not make every tenant get a mortgage.
The qualified purchaser assembles acquisition financing at the building level.
It does not automatically turn tenants into owners.
The resulting structure may remain affordable rental housing or use another long-term preservation model.
It does change the sale process.
For covered transactions, owners must respect notice and purchase-opportunity periods before completing certain sales.
So where does the money come from?
Mission-driven acquisitions can combine public acquisition funds, nonprofit or private lending, rehabilitation financing, tax credits and other subsidies depending on the building. A purchase right is useful only when capital and capable partners exist to use it.
Qualified purchaserAn experienced nonprofit or qualifying nonprofit-led structure leads the acquisition.
Acquisition + rehab capitalPublic and mission-driven financing can help buy and repair the property.
Tenant powerTenants organize, demand preservation, shape accountability and can push for stronger long-term community control.
Questions tenants actually ask
Is COPA already law in New York City?
No. Intro 905-2026 is pending legislation. Affordable Forever tracks the current bill, but the text can change.
Would tenants themselves own the building?
Not automatically. COPA gives the purchase opportunity to qualified mission-driven entities. Long-term ownership could remain nonprofit rental housing or involve a community land trust or other preservation structure.
What is a community land trust doing here?
A CLT is one possible permanent-stewardship partner. The current bill contains a specific CLT provision, but a CLT still has to fit the law's qualification and transaction rules.
What if my building's affordability is expiring?
That can be one COPA pathway when the specific HPD restriction and other statutory requirements are met. LIHTC or Section 8 dates alone are warning signals, not automatic COPA coverage.
What if nobody has told us the building is for sale?
COPA's purchase process would arise around a covered sale. Separately, tenants can organize earlier around building conditions, expiring affordability, ownership changes and preservation risks.
What should I do if this sounds relevant?
Check the building research signal, talk with neighbors, stay connected with Affordable Forever, and use the coalition action if you want to support passage of the current bill.
Now you know what COPA is. The next step is yours.
Affordable Forever helps tenants understand the proposal and connect it to real buildings. New Economy Project and the COPA coalition maintain the current legislative action form.
Could this matter for my building?Stay connected with Affordable ForeverTake action with the COPA coalition →