- Glossary
- /Mitchell-Lama
NYC rental glossary
Mitchell-Lama
A state/city affordable-housing program creating limited-equity, income-restricted middle-income developments.
Mitchell-Lama is a New York affordable-housing program, dating to the mid-1950s, that financed the construction of moderate- and middle-income housing — both rental and limited-equity co-op developments — in exchange for income limits, regulated charges, and oversight by the state (HCR) or the city (HPD).
Rents and carrying charges in a Mitchell-Lama development are set by the supervising agency, not by the Rent Guidelines Board, so the pricing rules differ from rent stabilization. When a development "buys out" of the program after its commitment period, its units often convert to rent stabilization rather than to the free market.
A CRM models Mitchell-Lama as its own regulation type precisely because its rent-setting mechanism is distinct from both stabilization and the free market.
Related terms
- Rent StabilizationA NYC regulatory system that caps annual rent increases and grants tenants a near-automatic right to renew their lease.
- HCR (NYS Homes & Community Renewal)New York State’s umbrella housing agency, parent of DHCR and the administrator of rent-regulation and affordable-housing programs.
- DHCR (Division of Housing & Community Renewal)The New York State agency that administers rent regulation — registering legal rents and adjudicating overcharge complaints.
- Legal Regulated RentThe maximum lawful rent for a rent-regulated unit, registered with the state and built up from a base plus permitted increases.
- Section 8A federal rental-subsidy program (the Housing Choice Voucher) that pays part of a low-income tenant’s rent directly to the landlord.
This definition is general information about a New York City rental or rent-regulation concept, not legal advice. The rules change and often turn on facts specific to a building, unit, and tenancy — confirm the current rule and consult a qualified attorney before acting on any individual matter.