LL97 & Affordable Housing

Understanding LL97

New York City’s one million buildings account for nearly two-thirds of the city’s carbon emissions. The Climate Mobilization Act of 2019 included Local Law 97 (LL97), which sets increasingly stringent caps on greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s largest buildings starting in 2024. Most buildings over 25,000 square feet will be subject to LL97, and buildings that exceed their annual emissions limits will face financial penalties. 

LL97 and Affordable Housing

Buildings that include affordable and rent-regulated housing are not exempt, but are treated differently under the law:

For additional information, please see the LL97 Frequently Asked Questions.

Act Now!

2024 is approaching quickly and we recommend that building owners act now to start on a path to compliance. Below are some actions building owners with near-term deadlines can do right away to start on a path to compliance:

1. Determine if your building is subject to LL97, and if so, which compliance requirement applies (see chart above). If you have questions, see the FAQs below.
2. Determine your building's current greenhouse gas emissions. Whether or not your building is subject to the Prescriptive Pathway, your building may already meet the applicable emissions limits. You can determine these limits by looking up your Local Law 84 Benchmarking. If your building already meets the applicable emissions limits, skip to #6. If your building does not meet the applicable emissions limits, continue to #3.
3. Find a provider to help you develop an appropriate work scope to meet your compliance requirement. It is important to act now because it can take a significant amount of time to assemble a team and implement your scope.
4. Determine how you will pay for the work. You should seek all available incentives, including ConEdison's Limited Offering, the NYS Affordable Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program Incentives, NYSERDA FlexTech, or financing from HPD or other lenders to offset costs.
5. Bid out the project and implement the work in time to meet the compliance deadline. File your LL97 report with the Department of Buildings (DOB). 
6. Reap the benefits of a more efficient and more comfortable building!

Need Help?

Free Technical Assistance with NYC Accelerator

Kinetic Communities Consulting Corporation (KC3), an affiliate of the NYC Accelerator, can provide free technical assistance to building owners of affordable housing to understand LL97, develop an appropriate work scope, identify incentives, and assemble a team to implement the work.

Contact KC3 at affordable@kc3.nyc or request training from a dedicated affordable housing account manager.

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