Community Hiring Rules Summary

New York State legislation authorized the Office of Community Hiring (OCH) to promulgate rules to implement the Community Hiring program for City procurements. The Community Hiring Rules establish the operational framework for the Community Hiring program.

The below summary provides preliminary information about Community Hiring.  This summary is not a substitute for legal advice.

1. What is Community Hiring?

Community Hiring is an initiative that is authorized by Chapter 79 of the New York City Charter. It allows City agencies to include workforce goals in their procurement contracts for vendors to provide employment and apprenticeship opportunities to low-income individuals and individuals who live in low-income communities.

2. Who are City vendors?

City vendors are nonprofits and businesses that contract with the City of New York to provide services to New Yorkers. Every year, the City contracts with vendors to provide billions of dollars' worth of services, like designing parks, repairing roads, and providing health services. The process by which City agencies purchase the goods and services they need is called “procurement”.

3. How will Community Hiring work?

If a vendor’s City contract is subject to Community Hiring, the vendor will be required to make best efforts to meet workforce goals as outlined in such contract. To help meet their goals, vendors will have access to a network of ‘Referral Sources’ that can connect vendors to jobseekers in search of opportunities.

OCH is responsible for managing the rollout and implementation of Community Hiring, supporting City agencies and vendors, and reporting on Community Hiring goals. OCH regularly reports on the impact of Community Hiring, increasing accountability, transparency, and the City’s ability to identify the challenges and successes of the program. 

4. When will Community Hiring go into effect?

The State legislation that authorized Community Hiring went into effect on May 15, 2024. The rules that set forth the Community Hiring requirements are effective as of January 23, 2025. Community Hiring is being phased in with goals set in City procurements.

5. What types of jobseekers can participate in Community Hiring?

Community Hiring  offers opportunities to jobseekers who are low-income (Income-Based Community Hires) or live in economically disadvantaged communities (Residence-Based Community Hires).

A Residence-Based Community Hire is an individual who lives in NYCHA housing or a ZIP code in which at least 15% of the population lives below the federal poverty threshold. A list of eligible ZIP codes can be found on the Economically Disadvantaged Regions page of OCH's website.

An Income-Based Community Hire is an individual with an individual or household income that falls below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines, which are published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For example, an individual with a household size of one who makes less than $46,950 per year would be an Income-Based Community Hire. A chart outlining income limits by household size can be found below.  To view the complete 2025 federal poverty guidelines or to learn more about the poverty guidelines, please see the HHS Poverty Guidelines webpage.

300% of the 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines

Household/Family Size	Dollars Per Year
1	$46,950
2	$63,450
3	$79,950
4	$96,450
5	$112,950
6	$129,450
7	$145,950
8	$162,450

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2025.

6. What Community Hiring Goals will apply to City contracts?

Goals for construction and building services contracts will require vendors to make best efforts to employ "Residence-Based Community Hires” to perform 30% of labor hours under the contract.

For professional services, human services, and standard services other than building service work, goals will require vendors to make best efforts to employ one "Income-Based Community Hire” for every $500,000 in contract value.

Certain contracts may also include specific goals for Community Hires who are registered apprentices. Agencies may also, in consultation with OCH, adjust the goals on a procurement-by-procurement basis, where appropriate.

7. How will vendors find candidates and jobseekers find opportunities?

OCH will establish a network of ‘Referral Sources,’ which may include the City’s public workforce system, union referral systems, and other entities who perform job placement services or other workforce development services. Referral Sources will facilitate connections between vendors and qualified talent by providing job matching services. Referral Sources will help identify jobseekers as Residence-Based and Income-Based Community Hires and help vendors find qualified candidates to both meet their employment needs and satisfy Community Hiring goals. 

8. What types of opportunities will Community Hiring connect jobseekers to?

Community Hiring goals will apply to agency procurement contracts for construction, professional services, standard services, and human services. Once fully implemented, Community Hiring is projected to connect jobseekers to thousands of jobs and over a billion dollars in annual salaries.

Since the City procures a broad range of services, there are a wide range of potential job opportunities, such as construction tradespeople, solution engineers, payroll and timekeeping clerks, security guards, architectural and civil drafters, mental health counselors, construction inspectors, AutoCAD designers, administrative assistants, paralegals, consultants, and maintenance technicians. Community Hiring aims to use the City’s procurement power to increase access to apprenticeships and career pathways across a broad range of growing industries, including technology and healthcare.

9. Is there a fee for jobseekers to participate in Community Hiring?

No, Referral Sources cannot charge Community Hires for providing services under the Community Hiring Rules.

10. What if a vendor does not have a hiring need?

Community Hiring requires vendors to make best efforts to employ jobseekers who are low-income or live in low-income communities. Vendors are not required to hire anyone they do not need or fire or displace any current workers to comply with Community Hiring goals.

11. How can I learn more about Community Hiring?

To connect with the Office of Community Hiring and learn more about what’s next for Community Hiring, visit our Contact Us page, subscribe to our newsletter or email CommunityHiring@talent.nyc.gov.