NYC Council Votes to Override Vetoes from Former Mayor Adams of Legislation to Strengthen Worker Protections and Increase Housing Affordability

Council also overrode veto of legislation to create a legal framework for city’s gender-motivated violence survivors to seek accountability  

Today, the New York City Council voted to override 17 mayoral vetoes by former Mayor Eric Adams of bills that strengthen worker protections, increase housing affordability and opportunities for homeownership, and create a legal framework for survivors to seek accountability for gender-motivated violence. The legislation was passed by the Council in late 2025.

Expanding Licensing and Resources for Street Vendors

Since 1979, general vending licenses to sell non-food goods or services have been capped at 853 total licenses, while over 10,000 applicants remain on a waitlist. For mobile food vending (MFV) before 2021, only several thousand licenses were made available. Due to these limits, an underground market for legacy permit holders to illegally rent their permits to new vendors for thousands of dollars per year developed. The following legislative package reforms the street vending system to bring more vendors into compliance and provides support for the community.

Introduction 431-B, would expand business licensing for food and general vendors by making 2,200 additional supervisory license applications available to prospective mobile food vendors annually from 2026 until 2031, and 10,500 new general vending licenses in 2027. It would also expand street vendor training and increase inspections of street vendor set-ups to ensure compliance with new requirements.

Introduction 1251-A, would authorize the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) to issue license applications to mobile food and general vendors until the licenses issued reaches the capped amount specified in Introduction 431-B, as not every license application results in a license issued.

Introduction 408-A, would create a Division of Street Vendor Assistance within the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to assist street vendors. The Division would provide resources and connect services and resources to entrepreneurs interested in street vending opportunities, and report annually on assistance efforts.

Preventing Wrongful Deactivations for Drivers and Delivery Workers

Introduction 276-A, would prohibit high-volume for-hire vehicle services from deactivating drivers, unless due to just cause, a bona fide economic reason, or if required to by law.

Prioritizing Greater Affordability for Housing and Homeownership

Affordable housing that is subsidized by the City has become increasingly less affordable to New Yorkers. Opportunities for affordable homeownership have dwindled, with only about 2% of HPD’s new construction during the past five years being homeownership units, as the City has lost tens of thousands of Black homeowners. The Council’s bills address these gaps in housing affordability for New Yorkers within the City’s current policies and programs.

Introduction 958-A, would approximately double the production of affordable homeownership opportunities financed by the City by requiring that at least 4 percent of all newly constructed affordable units be for homeownership.

Introduction 1443-A, would require that, starting July 1, 2027, 50% of newly constructed rental units financed by the City be affordable for very low-income households, and at least 30% for extremely low-income households.

Aland Etienne Safety & Security Act

Inspired by the heroic efforts of Aland Etienne, who was guarding the lobby of 345 Park Avenue when he was fatally shot by a gunman, the following legislation would enhance benefits and support for security guards in the city.

Introduction 1391-A, would direct security guard employers to provide their security guard employees with minimum wage, paid vacation time, and supplemental benefits that meet or exceed required compensation for private sector security guards engaged on New York City public building service contracts in excess of $1,500.

Creating Legal Framework for Survivors to Seek Accountability for Gender-Motivated Violence

In 2000, the Council passed the Gender Motivated Violence Act to give survivors the right to bring a civil suit against individuals who committed acts of gender-motivated violence. The law was updated in 2022 to, among other things, include liability for parties that participated in the crime. Last summer, certain survivors’ claims were determined by a court to not be covered by the existing law. The following legislation creates a new cause of action, laying out a legal framework to give survivors an avenue to accountability and resolution of their lawsuits.

Introduction 1297-A, would create a civil cause of action for crimes of violence motivated by gender that occurred prior to January 9, 2022. Any person claiming to be injured by a party who commits, directs, enables, participates, or conspires in the commission of a crime of violence motivated by gender may bring a civil claim against that party. The claims brought under this law must commence within 18 months of the effective date of the local law. Any person who brought a claim between March 1, 2023, and March 1, 2025, that meets the requirements of a cause of action under this law may amend or refile their claim to add a cause of action under this section.

Reducing Inequities from Lack of Transparency in the Sale of Co-Ops

Introduction 1120-B, would set timelines for decisions regarding the sale of co-op apartments, requiring the co-op to acknowledge receipt of application materials within 15 days and provide notice of whether it has consented to the sale within 45 days after the application is complete.

Establishing Lien Sale Reforms to Prioritize Community and Housing Stability with Debt Collection

The following bills seek to shift the City from the current practice of selling liens to a Delaware-based trust to instead use a New York City-established land bank. The City-established land bank would prioritize community needs, avoid unnecessary displacement of homeowners, and ensure tax delinquent properties are returned to productive use, while allowing the City to efficiently collect outstanding municipal debts. These bills were based on the work of the Temporary Task Force on Tax Liens, which was the product of the Council’s previous reforms.

Introduction 570-B, would create a New York City land bank, pending state approval, to acquire and manage vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent, and foreclosed properties. The land bank would be able to purchase and enforce tax liens bought from the City in a way that promotes the preservation of homeownership and home equity, prevention of displacement, and putting properties to productive community use.

Introduction 1407-A, would authorize the City to sell tax liens to a City land bank. The bill also requires the Department of Finance to condition that no purchaser of a tax lien may foreclose on a lien for class one residential property (typically one- to three-family homes) until one year after the date of the sale. Lien purchasers would also be required to regularly notify property owners of amounts owed.

Introduction 1419-A, would require the Commissioner of Finance to report annually on properties encumbered by chronically unresolved tax liens that remain unsatisfied for 36 months or more after being sold, and provide annually a list of these properties to heads of agencies charged with property-related enforcement.

Introduction 1420-A, would require the Commissioner of Finance to require purchasers of tax liens to make best efforts to transfer the liens to the City land bank upon certain triggering events.

Improving Public Safety by Strengthening Accountability and Transparency

Introduction 125-A, would require that in most circumstances, the NYPD must obtain the consent of a parent, legal guardian, or attorney before collecting a DNA sample from a minor.

Introduction 1412-A, also known as the Safer Sanctuary Act, would bar federal immigration authorities from maintaining offices on land under the New York City Department of Correction’s (DOC) jurisdiction. It would also amend the City’s sanctuary laws to account for current federal immigration enforcement practices.

Establishing a Grace Period for Certain Supplemental Sanitation Service Providers

Introduction 1279-B, would establish a grace period before the full enforcement of rules issued by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) prohibiting supplemental sanitation service providers from placing refuse or recycling by public litter baskets.

Strengthening Rules to Address Conflicts of Interest and Misconduct in City Contracting

Introduction 479-A, would require the City Chief Procurement Officer to establish standards and procedures for contractors to determine the existence of conflicts of interest and misconduct concerning city contracts valued over $100,000.