Opinion: Empowering homeowners to repair shared spaces

In Southeast Queens and neighborhoods like it across the five boroughs, homeowners face a familiar frustration: shared driveways and communal infrastructure are deteriorating, and there’s no clear way to fix them.

The problem isn’t that homeowners don’t care; quite the opposite. Many residents want to chip in to repair their driveways, clean up shared alleyways or upgrade communal sewer lines. But they’re blocked by a classic economic conundrum: the free rider problem.

In a typical scenario, the majority of homeowners on a shared driveway agree to split the cost of much-needed repairs. But if just one or two refuse to contribute, the project grinds to a halt. There’s no legal framework to require participation even when every property owner benefits. The result is crumbling infrastructure, deepening frustration and lower quality of life for everyone.

That’s why the three of us have taken action.

Council Member Nantasha Williams developed legislation that addresses this exact issue, and state Senator Leroy Comrie and Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman are proud to have introduced bills in Albany: Senate Bill S4040 and Assembly Bill A5362.

This legislation would establish City Community Improvement Projects – a practical and community-centered solution for collective repair and revitalization. It allows neighbors to come together to develop a shared improvement plan, form a project management association and finance necessary repairs through loans repayable via property taxes, only for those who benefit from the improvements.

In other words, it gives homeowners the tools to work together and ensures that everyone who gains from a project also contributes fairly.

The bill is simple but powerful. It creates transparency and accountability by requiring public hearings and input before any project is approved. And it respects taxpayer dollars by including comptroller oversight and debt limitations.

There are shared private sewers in Jamaica, crumbling alleyways in St. Albans and unpaved community driveways in Hollis that have gone ignored for too long. Not because people don’t care, but because the system didn’t give them the option to care together. Our legislation changes that.

For years, residents in our communities have asked: “Why is there no process to organize and fix what we share?” Now, there can be.

This is about quality of life. It’s about empowering working- and middle-class homeowners to protect their investments, beautify their blocks,and improve safety. It’s about fairness and giving residents control over their environment.

New York City thrives when neighbors can work together. With City Community Improvement Projects, we finally give them a way to do just that.

We urge our colleagues in the state Legislature to pass this bill and help our communities take collective action for the common good.