New York City Council members spent part of a June 2 budget hearing at City Hall making the case for a package of homeowner relief in the fiscal year 2027 budget: a $150 property tax rebate, a bigger Homeowner Help Desk, and grants to install heat pumps in one- and two-family homes. The push was first reported by the Queens Chronicle.
The three asks came at a joint hearing on the executive budget proposal, where the Committee on Housing and Buildings joined the Committee on Finance and others. The through-line is people who already own their homes and are struggling to keep them, a group the Council argued gets skipped over when the city talks about affordable housing.
The rebate would send $150 to every STAR-eligible household. About 600,000 households get that exemption, so the Council put the price tag at roughly $90 million. STAR is the state’s School Tax Relief exemption, which lowers property taxes for owner-occupied primary homes, so the rebate targets people who live in the homes they own. It would apply to Class 1 and Class 2 primary homeowners, the classes that cover most houses and residential buildings.
Expanding the Homeowner Help Desk would cost about $2 million. The desk connects homeowners to help with foreclosure, mortgage payments, home repairs, property fraud, and estate planning. Without early help, these problems can escalate to foreclosure.
The heat pump grant would cost $10 million. It would fund a city-run program letting homeowners below a certain income threshold in environmental justice communities apply for free or subsidized heat pump installation. As pitched, it is a $10,000 subsidy for 1,000 one- and two-family homes. Installing a heat pump runs anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000 depending on the home’s construction and condition, according to the Council. The grant targets that upfront cost barrier.
Council Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams, a St. Albans Democrat who sits on the Housing Committee, framed the whole package around ownership as a way families build wealth over time.
“I represent a district where homeownership has helped generations of families put down roots, build wealth, and create opportunities for their children,” Williams said via email. “But owning a home does not mean navigating every challenge alone.”
Williams said homeowners run into repair needs, foreclosure, property fraud, and estate planning without knowing where to turn, and that the Help Desk expansion would connect more of them to trusted guidance. “Providing that assistance early can help prevent small challenges from becoming larger crises while strengthening housing stability for families and communities across our city,” she added.
Councilman Jim Gennaro, a Fresh Meadows Democrat who chairs the Committee on Environmental Protection and sits on Finance with Williams, made the case for the heat pumps. He said the technology saves money over time but that many families cannot absorb the upfront expense.
“They deserve the same opportunity to modernize their homes, lower their utility bills and reduce pollution,” Gennaro said via email. He called the proposal a simple grant of $10,000 or more. “The goal is to eliminate the financial barrier that prevents families from choosing the cleaner, more efficient option. New Yorkers deserve relief from rising energy costs.”
Councilwoman Linda Lee, an Oakland Gardens Democrat who chairs the Finance Committee, was asked whether the city could hit its housing goals amid a loss of federal funding. She said the Council was staying focused on its fiscal year 2027 priorities and confirmed the $2 million Help Desk expansion aimed at foreclosure prevention, mortgage help, and affordable repairs and energy upgrades.
Lee said the Council was working with the Department of Environmental Protection and Housing Preservation and Development to launch what she called a first-of-its-kind heat pump distribution program for burdened residents in environmental justice communities, pointing to Eastern and Southeastern Queens neighborhoods that have taken the brunt of flooding, pollution, and severe storms.
“The City Council has repeatedly opposed proposed increases in property taxes and is committed to securing a property tax rebate,” Lee said via email. “Too often, discussions about affordable housing overlook the creation of real pathways towards affordable and sustainable homeownership. As homeowners continue to face financial strain, these investments and tax relief measures will provide meaningful support to families who call New York City home.”
These priorities are not adopted policy. The city budget had to be finalized by July 1.
Featured image: Bushwick Daily
