What happens when one-fifth of New York City residents share a common housing challenge but lack a unified voice? Geoffrey Mazel, co-op attorney with 40+ years of experience, launches the Co-op and Condo Insider podcast to bridge this critical information gap.

Mazel's journey began at 28 when he became president of Glen Oaks Village, the largest converted co-op east of the Mississippi. That experience launched a career dedicated to addressing the unique challenges facing cooperative and condominium housing across New York City and State. As he explains to co-host Richard Solomon, these housing communities represent an essential segment of affordable housing that remains largely misunderstood by the general public and policymakers alike.

The podcast explores the stark reality facing co-op boards today: navigating rising operational costs while confronting a tsunami of regulations and unfunded mandates from government agencies. Local Law 97, the Climate Mobilization Act, emerges as a particular threat, potentially forcing many co-ops into insolvency through economically and physically unfeasible electrification requirements. Against well-funded environmental and industry lobbyists, grassroots co-op advocates are fighting to protect what Mazel calls ”precious housing stock.”

Yet there's hope in collective action. When former Governor Andrew Cuomo met with 26 board presidents representing nearly 30,000 units of co-op housing, he told them: ”You guys have a lot of power. You don't even know it.” Mazel's response? ”We do know it, we just don't know how to harness it.” Through legislative victories like fixing a critical Fannie Mae financing issue that saved 10,000 housing units, the co-op community is learning to flex its political muscle.

Subscribe now to hear from the elected officials, industry professionals, and everyday residents shaping the future of cooperative and condominium housing in New York. Whether you're a board member, resident, or professional working in this space, each episode delivers practical insights you won't find anywhere else.