PolicyPro: Social housing agencies push, Maddd Equities’ lobbying blitz
City, state lawmakers want new housing framework
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Hey there, let’s get into today’s news at the intersection of policy and real estate:
- City and state lawmakers want public agencies dedicated to social housing models.
- Maddd Equities landed among New York's 10 biggest lobbying spenders last year, making it the lone real estate developer in the ranking pushing its various projects.
- Contractors will soon have six new sidewalk shed designs to choose from — replacing the city’s dreary green plywood norm.
In this edition we mention: City Council member Sandy Nurse, state Sen. Cordell Cleare, Assembly member Emily Gallagher, Maddd Equities CEO and founder Jorge Madruga and others.
We Heard
- Policy play: City and state lawmakers are laying the groundwork for a social housing apparatus, but for now, it’s more of a messaging campaign than legislation likely to pass. City Council member Sandy Nurse has a bill that would require city officials to study the feasibility of a city agency exclusively focused on the promotion and development of social housing — an umbrella term that typically describes housing owned by public entities, residents or nonprofits. A similar state measure introduced this past legislative session by state Sen. Cordell Cleare and Assembly member Emily Gallagher sought to create the Social Housing Development Authority, a publicly-funded entity empowered to acquire land, rehabilitate existing properties and oversee new construction projects to promote social housing (the bill stalled in committee but will be back in play next year). But as the city wrestles with a multibillion-dollar budget gap and the state faces federal funding cuts, the creation of either agency is unlikely any time soon. Such policies have increasingly grabbed the attention of progressive lawmakers, while in some cases drawing criticism from the real estate industry for interfering in private transactions and potentially drawing resources away from other housing initiatives. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who embraced social housing on the campaign trail, is now trying to thread that needle in his housing agenda: backing COPA, which would give nonprofits a first shot at buying certain distressed properties when they go for sale, and expanding support for limited-equity co-ops while still relying on the private sector to finance and develop mixed-income housing. City Hall declined to comment.
- Big spender: Lobbying spending hit a record $384.8 million in New York last year, but only one real estate developer cracked the state's top 10 spenders. Maddd Equities, led by Jorge Madruga, spent more than $1.8 million lobbying officials in 2025, according to the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government's annual report. That was enough to land the Long Island-based developer at No. 10 among all lobbying clients statewide. Unsurprisingly, gaming interests dominated the rankings, with the teams behind the Resorts World and Metropolitan Park downstate casino bids among the biggest spenders. Maddd was the lone real estate developer to make the top tier. Most of the firm's lobbying dollars flowed to land-use counsel Akerman, which worked on municipal approvals for high-profile Bronx projects. Those efforts include the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory and the conversion of the Bronx General Post Office. The city's Economic Development Corporation selected Maddd and partner Joy Construction to overhaul the long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory, transforming the century-old property into a 13,000-seat event venue alongside community space, a recreation center, an educational facility and culture and commercial spaces. Maddd also paid $44 million for the Bronx General Post Office, where it now plans to create a life and health sciences hub for CUNY’s Hostos Community College. The developer's lobbying effort also extended to permits and licenses for e-bike startup JOCO as part of a partnership to install docking stations at future developments.
- Shed shakeup: The days of drab green plywood sidewalk sheds are numbered. The Department of Buildings has unveiled two prototypes of a new generation of six sleek, more open sidewalk sheds outside its Lower Manhattan headquarters. The designs, one sky blue and the other bright yellow, aim to bring more light and visibility to the streetscape while still shielding pedestrians from construction hazards. The city currently has more than 7,600 sidewalk sheds lining its streets, but officials are pushing rules aimed at reducing their footprint. “While many of these sheds remain necessary to protect pedestrians during building maintenance, that doesn’t mean we should accept the status quo,” Mayor Mamdani said in a statement. The six new shed concepts were created by architecture and design firms Arup and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, which the city hired in 2024 to rethink the city’s ubiquitous — and unloved — construction fixtures. DOB is now developing rules that would clear the way for all six designs to be used citywide. The specifications will be open source, allowing contractors to access the designs once the rules are finalized later this year.
Have a tip or feedback? Reach me at caroline.spivack@therealdeal.com.
Bill Tracker
| Bill Number | Lead Sponsor(s) | Summary | Committee |
| Intro. 0347 | City Council member Sandy Nurse | Requires a study on the feasibility of creating a city social housing agency | Referred to the Committee on Housing and Buildings |
| S5674/A6265 | Senator Cordell Cleare and Assembly member Emily Gallagher s | Established the New York State Social Housing Development Authority | Stalled in committee this past legislative session |
The Catch-Up
The mayor’s housing plan has been reduced to a $22 billion price tag, a substantial decrease from the $100 billion figure promised during his mayoral campaign, writes The Real Deal columnist Erik Engquist.
A court extended a freeze on NYCHA’s Chelsea megaproject, keeping a high-stakes redevelopment plan in limbo after residents challenged the demolition effort, reports amNew York.
Facing opposition from nonprofits, the Mamdani administration dropped plans to delay upfront contract payments to ease the city’s cash crunch, reports Crain’s New York Business.
City & State caught up with New York Building Congress CEO Carlo Scissura to discuss the region’s transportation construction boom.
The Kicker
“New York City cannot solve its housing crisis without protecting the homes that already provide stability, affordability and critical supportive services to vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Rachel Levine, executive director of Nazareth Housing, a community-based nonprofit that serves families and individuals in crisis, on the city’s new Supportive Preservation Program.
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