New York Councilwoman Warns COPA Bill Threatens Private Property Rights with ‘Maniacal’ Shift Toward Community Ownership

New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino stated Tuesday that the City Council passed the controversial Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) with insufficient notice, calling it a deliberate effort to undermine private property rights.

Paladino said council members “did not even know this was going to be on the agenda until the night before” the final scheduled meeting of the year on December 18. She described the late scheduling as making meaningful review impossible despite lawmakers acknowledging the bill’s significance.

The legislation grants nonprofit and community-based groups a prioritized pathway to purchase eligible properties when owners decide to sell. Paladino criticized COPA as a false promise of “community” empowerment that excludes everyday New Yorkers, stating: “Community doesn’t mean you, the individual.”

She linked the measure to Democratic Socialist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s agenda, claiming it aligns with his push for community-owned property over private homeownership. “This is exactly what they want,” Paladino said, adding that Mamdani opposes single-family and multi-family home ownership.

Paladino warned outer borough neighborhoods would face the greatest impact of COPA, noting Manhattan would likely be least affected. She described the bill as an infringement on basic rights, calling it “maniacal” and a threat to private property.

The councilwoman also alleged that COPA’s passage diverted attention from veterans’ legislation, stating eleven veteran bills “were cleared in committee but disappeared before floor votes.”

Paladino urged New York City residents to monitor the bill’s consequences, warning it marks “the tip of the iceberg” of a broader shift toward community ownership.