Political Action Committee for Landlords Backs Cuomo With $2.5M

A new political action committee led by a former New York State Assembly member is putting its resources to work with plans to spend $2.5 million to help elect former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as New York City mayor, with the Democratic primary just weeks away.

New York Apartment Association (NYAA), which launched in September 2024 to push for legislation that helps landlords who own rent-stabilized buildings, will use the money to run television, radio and web ads promoting Cuomo for mayor and highlighting his housing strategy.

“In this two-person race, Andrew Cuomo is the best candidate to increase the supply of housing. The alternative choice is unacceptable and will decimate the housing stock,” NYCAA CEO Kenny Burgos said in a statement to Politico.

The NYCAA was formed in September by the merging of the Community Housing Improvement Group and the Rent Stabilization Association. It tapped Burgos, who served two terms in the Assembly, to be its inaugural CEO.

Cuomo has already collected an immense amount of financial support from real estate industry leaders while expressing regret to trade organizations for signing the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, which prevents landlords from destabilizing rent-controlled apartments after a tenant has moved out and upgrades have been made.

The law has been widely criticized as the main reason why rent-stabilized buildings have faltered as a viable investment, leading to the housing stock falling into a general state of disrepair.

Burgos resigned from his Bronx Assembly seat in July 2024 with plans to lead NYAA, which was still forming at the time. When he spoke to City & State in October 2024, he said that the mission is to advocate for landlords who operate on a smaller scale rather than major real estate firms.

Some issues the NYAA will advocate for are lower property taxes for small landlords, zoning changes, and promoting policies that will cut down on overhead for owners, such as insurance, water and sewer costs.

The organization believes that alleviating some of these cost burdens will encourage owners to make upgrades to housing units and buildings.

Other candidates in the race for mayor include New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, State Sen. Jessica Ramos, former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson and former Bronx Assemblymember Michael Blake.

Even if Cuomo isn’t ranked first among voters in the Democratic primary, he will face off against Mayor Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa in the general election as an independent candidate. Adams is running for mayor as an independent, and Sliwa is widely predicted to win the Republican nomination.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.