| About NYSAFAH |
The New York State Association for Affordable Housing, formed in 1998, is a trade association for private sector organizations throughout New York State that are involved in affordable housing.
Our goals are to increase housing programs and subsidies, to be a voice for professionals in the field, and to inform members of new opportunities and developments. Currently we have over 250 members, including developers, general contractors, attorneys, architects, lenders, equity investors, and other housing professionals.
In 2005 our lobbying efforts resulted in the Property Tax Assessment Reform Act, which requires assessors to use the income approach to assess affordable projects. Our earlier successes include the establishment of two state programs, the Homes for Working Families Program and the New York State Low Income Housing Tax Credit (SLIHC).
We are constantly working to increase funding for affordable housing. In New York City, we secured $13 million in funding from the City Council to develop more housing for lower income New Yorkers. At the state level we are working to expand the SLIHC program and dedicate the SONYMA mortgage insurance fund excess reserves to affordable housing.
We also monitor proposed legislation which may affect affordable housing in New York State and New York City. Currently we are working to exempt affordable housing from proposed prevailing wage legislation and amend the Scaffold Law, a major cause of skyrocketing liability insurance premiums. In New York City, we modified bills which would have raised the cost of affordable housing development. Currently we are opposing efforts to end the self-certification process at the Department of Buildings.
We sponsor a full schedule of networking events state-wide. In addition to our regularly scheduled networking breakfasts in New York City, more events are planned for later this year in Buffalo, Rochester, and Saratoga.