2021 Advocacy Priorities

advocacy priorities graphic with NYS Capitol building in background

The past year brought many challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to ravage our nation resulting in significant loss of life and livelihoods, has also caused great difficulty for businesses and nonprofits across the state. We encourage the role that historic preservation can play in New York State’s economic recovery. Preservation projects create jobs, leverage private investment, and bring life to New York’s Main Streets and historic neighborhoods.

During the 2021 New York State legislative session, the Preservation League's policy team is working to advance the Preservation League's mission through the following initiatives and advocacy work:

  • Increasing the Historic Tax Credit from 20%-30% for projects under $2.5 million [Assembly: A03670, Senate: S04439]

  • Protecting the authenticity and integrity of our National Historic Landmark NYS Canal System, the oldest continuously operating canal system in our country by removing the Canal System Revitalization Act from the budget. We ask the NYS Legislature to intentionally omit it from their budget bills.

  • Rethinking the Governor's proposed Empire Station Complex to limit demolition of National Register-listed and eligible buildings surrounding Penn Station. Our specific legislative ask is for the proposed $1.3 billion Capital Projects Budget appropriation (page 854) for this urban renewal land grab to be removed from the Legislative budget bills.

  • Funding for NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) and the NYS Council on the Arts

    • Including support for capital investment at NYS OPRHP, with particular attention to the needs of NYS Historic Sites, as well as historic buildings and landscapes within NYS Parks

  • Maintaining Historic Preservation Grants under a $300 million Environmental Protection Fund

  • Support of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution [Assembly: A04742, Senate: S04410]

  • Thoughtful siting consideration for the renewable energy our state needs to ensure a sustainable future

You can read more about our key issues reflected in our response to Governor Cuomo’s proposed 2022 budget.

Read our September 2020 letter to the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation highlighting our NYS budget priorities.

Our first-ever Virtual Preservation Advocacy Day took place on February 24, 2021.

On the federal level, we look forward to working with the new administration Congressional leadership to further emphasize historic preservation as one solution to a nationwide economic recovery. To accomplish this, we are currently focused on:

  • Supporting COVID-19 relief provisions related to historic preservation under the federal historic tax credit program. We anticipate Congress will introduce a bill this month drawing upon provisions of the 2019 HTC-GO bill and the 2020 H.R. 2 infrastructure bill (Moving Forward Act).

    • The Moving Forward Act included temporary COVID-19 relief to HTC projects distressed by the pandemic.

    • HTC-GO proposed several permanent enhancements to the Fed HTC to bring more value to HTC transactions and encourages redevelopment of smaller, income-producing properties.

  • Full funding of the Historic Preservation Fund.

March 8 – 11, 2021, Advocate for the HTC Virtually at Preservation Advocacy Week 2021. Virtual conference hosted by Preservation Action & National Conference of SHPOs.

The League stands at the ready to advocate for additional needs related to historic preservation in this ever-changing environment.

Tax CreditsPLNYS Staff