On December 2, 2025, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams spoke to the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings. He urged the passage of new legislation to increase transparency and fairness in the city’s co-op housing market. Williams said that discrimination and lack of accountability in co-op sales and management have limited access to homeownership for qualified applicants in New York City.
Williams stated that cooperative developments are an important way for many New Yorkers to become homeowners. He noted that the co-op approval process is often not transparent, which can allow discriminatory practices to continue. Williams cited estimates that discrimination affects about 20% of co-op board decisions. He also mentioned that some real estate agents use coded language, such as “NOK” (not our kind) or “NQ” (not quite), to exclude certain applicants.
To address these concerns, Williams introduced Intro 407-A. This bill would require co-op boards to give written explanations to prospective buyers when they deny a sale. The explanation would need to be provided within five days of the decision. Williams said this would give applicants more information about the reasons for denial and help reduce discrimination by making the process more transparent…