New York Apartment Association

The New York Apartment Association (or NYAA) is a trade association that represents landlords of rent-stabilized units in New York City. It was formed in 2024 through the merger of the Community Housing Improvement Program and the Rent Stabilization Association.¹

The New York Apartment Association was formed in 2024 through the merger of two long-standing industry trade groups: the Rent Stabilization Association and the Community Housing Improvement Program. The Community Housing Improvement Program was founded in 1966 by William A. Moses.²³

The consolidation aimed to unify the lobbying and advocacy efforts of New York City property owners and housing providers under a single organization. ⁴

Following the merger, former New York State Assemblyman Kenny Burgos was announced as the inaugural CEO of NYAA.[1] Burgos, and who previously represented the 85th Assembly District in the Bronx, was selected to lead the organization's legislative strategy, public outreach initiatives, and digital modernization. ⁵

In addition to installing Burgos as CEO, the New York Apartment Association hired Woody Pascal from the Office of Rent Administration,⁶ and expanded their housing policy and communications team⁷ to better position themselves to compete with tenant and other housing advocacy groups.⁸

NYAA advocates for legislative reforms aimed at expanding the housing supply and easing regulatory burdens on property owners.⁹

The organization's stated policy priorities include rent-stabilization reform, expanding & improving vouchers,¹⁰ property tax reform,¹¹ affordable housing insurance fund,¹² nonpayment eviction diversion programs,¹³ commitment to community building, and reducing operating costs.¹⁴

NYAA also worked with the Mamdani administration to reduce operating costs for housing with a new City-backed insurance program. ¹⁵ NYAA CEO Kenny Burgos was included in the City Hall press release announcing the program with the following quote:

“We appreciate Mayor Mamdani tackling the insurance crisis head-on. Runaway premiums have made it increasingly difficult for responsible owners to protect the buildings New Yorkers call home. We must deliver serious relief that benefits renters and their housing providers and government must take a bigger role. It's clear that Mayor Mamdani realizes this and we are thankful he is prioritizing this issue,” said Kenny Burgos, CEO, New York Apartment Association.

The group positions its platform as a pragmatic alternative to progressive housing policies, arguing that current regulations restrict housing development and building maintenance. ¹⁶

Unlike traditional trade association lobbying efforts, NYAA utilizes digital media campaigns to communicate its policy positions.¹⁷ The organization produces short-form video content and maintains active social media channels¹⁸ to disseminate information regarding housing policy, property management, and tenant-landlord relations. Given both are known for their use of short-form video and social media, Kenny Burgos is often cited as a leading oppositional figure to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.¹⁹²⁰²¹

In addition to their Housing New York podcast,²²²³ the New York Apartment Association has thousands of subscribers to their Substack,²⁴ and maintains a presence on Youtube,²⁵ TikTok, Instagram, Threads and X. The short-form videos produced by NYAA have attracted millions of views since their launch in 2024, and have been praised as a new, effective advocacy tool.²⁶

In the 2025 election the group announced it would spend $2 million in the 2025 New York City Council election through a new super PAC called "Housing for All" backing Julie Menin, Kevin Riley, Crystal Hudson, Ty Hankerson, and Rachel Storch, while spending against Chris Marte.²⁷ They also announced a $2.5 million ad campaign supporting Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary and criticized Zohran Mamdani's plan for a rent freeze.²⁸