Skip to main content

Agora
Sign in

Senate bill · S8918 (2025-26)

Establishes the build up New York pilot program and the mass timber for affordable housing program to encourage the use of mass timber in affordable housing…

Official titleShow

Establishes the build up New York pilot program and the mass timber for affordable housing program to encourage the use of mass timber in affordable housing retrofits and additions

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

Latest action May 18, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A9255, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

Brian Kavanagh

State Senator, District 27 · Democratic

Follow

Summary

Establishes the build up New York pilot program to provide grants to eligible municipalities that construct new accessory dwelling unit housing projects built on top of existing buildings that utilize mass timber and serve certain households; establishes the mass timber for affordable housing program to provide tax credits for eligible taxpayers who use mass timber in certain new construction or major retrofits of existing buildings that primarily serve households up to one hundred fifty percent of the area median income; establishes tax credits for mass timber production.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Public Housing Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 20, 2026. About our data

Follow

Following needs an Agora account. You will sign in first, then come back to this page.

Your position on this bill

Choose the position closest to yours. You'll sign in or create an account to save it.

Sign in or create an account to give your position

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

To increase the use of and investment in mass timber - a sustainable, resilient, and efficient construction material - in New York State by 1) piloting the use of mass timber in affordable housing retrofits and additions, 2) providing tax incentives to encourage adoptions of mass timber in affordable housing projects and 3) spurring investment in facilities and machinery that produce mass timber products within the state.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Housing · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Housing, Construction And Community Development · New York State Senate.

Cosponsors

Albert A. Stirpe, Alicia Hyndman and 11 more on Agora

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)
  • Democratic13

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

Show the full list (13 names)

The sponsor's argument

Why Brian Kavanagh says this is needed

Mass timber is a sustainable, resilient, and efficient construction material that bonds together smaller, undesirable timber into large, strong wood panels and beams. Between 1/3 rd to 1/5 th of the weight of other construction materials like concrete and steel, mass timber is extremely lightweight and lends itself well to building on top of exist- ing structures. Mass timber utilizes pre-fabrication design, which lowers construction costs and accelerates housing production, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The use of mass timber supports New York's climate goals, promotes workforce development, and strengthens supply chains for renewable building products. This bill would spur the use and investment in mass timber in New York State by 1) creating a Build Up New York pilot program, providing grants to Pro-Housing Communities to build affordable housing accessory dwell- ing units utilizing mass timber and serving households up to 150% AMI on top of existing buildings; 2) establish a Mass Timber for Affordable Housing Program and corresponding Mass Timber for Affordable Housing Tax Credit to incentivize the use of mass timber in affordable housing developments; and 3) provide a 10% additional tax credit to the Invest- ment Tax Credit for facilities and machinery that produce mass timber products within the state.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Committee vote · Housing, Construction And Community Development

    Senate Housing, Construction And Community DevelopmentMay 18, 2026Result: passed

    (11) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

  1. May 18, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE

    NY Senate

  2. Apr 16, 2026

    Amend (t) and Recommit to Housing

    AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO HOUSING

    NY Assembly

  3. Apr 16, 2026

    Amend (t) and Recommit to Housing, Construction and Community Development

    AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

    NY Senate

  4. Jan 15, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

    NY Senate

  5. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO HOUSING

    NY Assembly

Show full history (1 earlier event)
  1. Nov 21, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO HOUSING

    NY Assembly