LOCAL LAW NO. “C” FOR 2026
LOCAL LAW NO. “C” FOR 2026: A LOCAL LAW OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY, NEW YORK IN RELATION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ALBANY COUNTY RESIDENTS AS PRIORITY HIRES FOR COUNTY-ASSISTED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Introduced: 4/13/26
By Efekoro and Hillie:
BE IT ENACTED by the Albany County Legislature as follows:
Section 1. Title:
This Local Law shall be known and may be cited as the “County Residents as Priority Hires for County Assisted Housing Development Projects Law
Section 2: Definitions:
For purposes of this local law, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITY: The term “county economic development entity” means a not-for-profit organization, public benefit corporation, or other entity that provides or administers economic development benefits on behalf of the county.
A. AGENCY: Agency shall mean the Advance Albany County Alliance.
B. COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITY: “County economic development entity” shall mean a not-for-profit organization, public benefit corporation, or other entity that provides or administers economic development benefits on behalf of the County.
C. COUNTY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: County financial assistance” shall mean discretionary loans, grants, or land conveyances for less than appraised value provided by the County to a developer for the development of real property. County financial assistance shall not include tax exemptions or abatements, as-of-right benefits, or leases at below-market rates. Where such assistance takes the form of a land conveyance for less than appraised value, the value of the assistance shall be determined based on the difference between the appraised market value of the land and the value of the land to the developer.
D. CONSTRUCTION: “Construction” shall mean the planning, design, financing, and building of infrastructure, residential, or industrial facilities from conception through demolition.
E. CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYER: “Construction employer” shall mean any person, corporation, limited liability company, or association employing a construction worker directly or indirectly, including through subcontractors.
F. CONSTRUCTION WORKER: “Construction worker” shall mean a person employed to perform construction, demolition, hazardous remediation, or manual labor on a housing development project.
G. DEMOLITION: “Demolition” shall have has the same meaning as defined in the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and any applicable regulations promulgated thereunder, as may be amended.
H. DEVELOPER: “Developer” shall mean any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other entity that receives county financial assistance for a housing development project.
I. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: “Housing development project” shall mean the construction or demolition of any residential building, residential facility, or residential structure, including any commercial or community components thereof; the conversion of any non-residential floor area to residential use; or any green building retrofit, including energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy system installations, that is funded in whole or in part by County financial assistance. Such term shall not include scatter sites, preservation projects, housing development projects on land owned by Albany County, or projects wholly sited on land where the disposition of such land is solely by the County.
J. ON-SITE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES: “On-site supportive services" shall mean services provided to residents including, but not limited to, assistance with physical health, mental health, or substance use needs.
K. PRESERVATION PROJECT: “Preservation project’ shall mean a renovation project of an existing residential facility or structure that preserves dwelling units. Such term shall not include projects involving conversion of non-residential space to residential use or green building retrofits.
L. SCATTER SITE: “Scatter site” shall mean a project consisting of three (3) or more buildings where no individual parcel or building is contiguous or located on the same block and no individual building contains twenty (20) units.
M. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECT: “Supportive housing project” shall mean a project for the provision of housing in which:
a. A developer has entered into a regulatory agreement with a federal, state, or local government entity requiring that
i. At least thirty-five percent (35%) of residential units be reserved for individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, disabled individuals, or homeless families with a disabled head of household; and
ii. On-site supportive services be provided to residents of at least twenty percent (20%) of the residential units; and
b. The remaining residential units are rented to households earning, on average, up to eighty percent (80%) of area median income, adjusted for household size.
N. GOOD FAITH EFFORT: “Good faith effort” shall mean a genuine, reasonable, and documented attempt to meet the hiring objectives of this local law. Such effort shall include targeted outreach to Albany County residents, engagement with local workforce programs, consideration of qualified local candidates, and maintenance of records demonstrating such actions. Failure to take meaningful and timely steps consistent with this subdivision shall constitute evidence of noncompliance.
Section 3. Community Hiring:
a. Each developer receiving County financial assistance for a housing development project shall make a good faith effort to ensure that no less than thirty percent (30%) of work on such project is performed by construction workers who are residents of Albany County.
b. The agency shall provide a model community hiring plan to developers, including a description of measures that may satisfy the requirements of subdivision A of this section.
c. Prior to receiving county financial assistance, the developer shall submit to the Agency a community hiring plan describing how the developer intends to recruit construction workers to meet the hiring goals set forth in subdivision A.
Section 4. Reporting Requirements.
a. The Agency shall maintain a publicly searchable open dataset of all construction projects subject to this local law. Such dataset shall be updated as necessary, but not less than quarterly, and shall include , at a minimum:
1. The address, and any proposed addresses, of the housing development project;
2. The type and amount of county financial assistance awarded;
3. The name and address of each developer receiving such assistance;
4. The agency with primary oversight responsibility; and
5. A copy of the developer’s community hiring plan.
b. For each housing development project, each developer shall report to the Agency, and the Agency shall publish online no less than quarterly:
1. The name and address of each construction employer on the project;
2. The total number of construction workers employed; and,
3. The number and percentage of such workers who are residents of Albany County.
c. By December 31 of each year, the Agency shall submit to the County Executive and the County Legislature through the Chair of the Legislature, and publish online, a report detailing the status of covered projects and enforcement of this local law, including violations, findings, settlements, and penalties.
Section 5. Enforcement.
a. The agency shall monitor compliance with this local law. Upon reason to believe a violation has occurred, or upon receipt of a written complaint, the agency shall conduct an investigation and report its findings to the County Executive and the County Legislature.
b. At the commencement of an investigation, the Agency may request, consistent with applicable procedures, that payments due to a developer or construction employer be withheld pending the outcome.
c. Upon a determination of a violation, the Agency shall provide the developer or construction employer no less than ninety (90) days to cure. The Agency may negotiate a settlement or conduct a hearing, upon at least ten (10) days’ notice, at which the affected parties shall have an opportunity to be heard.
d. Following the cure period and any hearing, the County Executive or designee may issue a final determination, which may include:
1. Directing the filing or disclosure of required records;
2. Considering factors such as business size, good faith, gravity of violation, and compliance history; and
3.Declaring a developer or construction employer ineligible for County contracts or financial assistance for five (5) years upon three (3) violations within any consecutive six (6) year period.
Section 6. Applicability and Construction.
This local law shall apply only to housing development projects receiving County financial assistance and shall not apply to standard procurement contracts unrelated to the development of real property.
Nothing in this local law shall be construed to require a specific hiring outcome or to impose quotas, mandates, or conditions that would delay or prevent the completion of a covered development project.
Section 7. Capital Region Counties
Residents of the following counties in the New York State Capital Region shall be counted towards meeting the requirements of this local law. The counties shall include: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady.
Section 8. Severability.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law shall be adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof.
Section [8]9. Effective Date.
This local law shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
Referred to Law Committee - 4/13/26