The Real Estate Board of New York to The City Council Committees on Housing and Buildings and Civil Service and Labor on Intros 261, 1376, 1384, and 1404

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The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) is the City’s leading real estate trade association representing commercial, residential, and institutional property owners, builders, managers, investors, brokers, salespeople, and other organizations and individuals active in New York City real estate. REBNY appreciates this opportunity to provide comments on the above-referenced legislation

Int. 0261-2024: in relation to the means of egress requirements in certain new buildings

Sponsors: Council Members Joseph, Feliz, Louis, Banks and Bottcher

This bill would allow for certain new residential buildings to be built with only one staircase if they are six stories or under, constructed to fireproof standards, do not exceed 4,000 square feet per floor, and have a maximum of 20 feet from the door of a dwelling unit to the exit staircase. Today, these types of buildings require two staircases, but with such a small floor plate, that means less units and less efficient unit placement, driving up the cost of construction.

REBNY appreciates the Council’s ongoing work to increase NYC’s building stock whenever possible. This bill, which is in furtherance of the City’s recently approved zone text amendment City of Yes for Housing Opportunity that seeks to encourage more multifamily buildings, could help with housing affordability and efficiency. Therefore, REBNY supports this proposed bill.

Int. 1376-2025: in relation to the department of health and mental hygiene posting worker guidance for best practices for protecting workers from extreme weather

Sponsors: Council Members De La Rosa, Cabán, Hanif, Brannan and Restler

This bill would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to post on their website best practices for protecting construction workers from weather-related risks, including extreme heat, extreme cold, and poor air quality days. The guidance would be posted in all designated citywide languages.

Given the fact that global climate change is causing an increase in all varieties of extreme weather, it is of particular importance to have measures in place to protect workers from such weather events. This bill is a commonsense way of doing so by promoting industry-proven best practices that can be implemented based on the particular characteristics of a given construction site. Therefore, REBNY supports this bill.

Int. 1384: in relation to requiring construction site safety trainings to include mental health and wellness, suicide risk and prevention, and alcohol and substance-misuse

Sponsors: Council Members Lee, Sanchez, Restler, Hanif and Brannan

This bill would expand site safety training to also cover issues related to mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Under local law, workers at construction sites are required to complete site safety training and be knowledgeable about ways to protect themselves from potential physical harm. This bill recognizes that addressing issues of mental health and substance abuse is also part of staying safe on a construction site. In addition, substance abuse disorders and mental health issues are often undertreated and misunderstood, and the opportunity to better reach workers on these issues is critically important. Therefore REBNY supports this proposed legislation.

Int. 1404: to allow the occupancy of cellars in certain one- and two-family dwellings

Sponsors: Council Member Sanchez (by request of the Mayor)

This bill creates an exception for ancillary or accessory dwelling units from the prohibition against cellar occupancies. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) encompass both basement and cellar apartments, which are distinguished in the zoning resolution, building code, and administrative code by the amount of height of the floor that is above and below grade. This intro is part of aligning the various regulatory frameworks with allowing ADUs.

As with Intro 261, we commend the Council for expanding housing opportunities for New Yorkers, as the current housing shortage is driving up living costs. This legislation supports changes produced through City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. As part of the modernization of the zoning resolution ADUs are now permitted in all low-density districts on lots with one- and two-family homes. Memorializing this change and aligning the regulatory frameworks is an important change. As such, REBNY supports this legislation.