

Demand that Columbia University make its vacant housing available to the community.
The Issue
Columbia University is the largest private property owner in New York City, managing roughly 300 buildings and nearly 16 million square feet, including more than 5,800 apartments concentrated in and around Morningside Heights. Yet while families in Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, and West Harlem struggle with rising rents and displacement, some Columbia-owned apartments remain vacant. Following months of community advocacy, Columbia agreed to make 12 apartments available to community residents at affordable rents. But 12 apartments are not enough, and neighbors have already identified at least 10 additional vacant units. With a nearly $16 billion endowment and more than $20 billion in net assets, Columbia has both the property and the resources to do more. We call on Columbia to make all of its currently vacant apartments permanently available to community residents at genuinely affordable rents. Every unit should be rent-stabilized and remain available to the community after the initial tenant moves out. It is time for the University to be a better neighbor.

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The Issue
Columbia University is the largest private property owner in New York City, managing roughly 300 buildings and nearly 16 million square feet, including more than 5,800 apartments concentrated in and around Morningside Heights. Yet while families in Morningside Heights, Manhattanville, and West Harlem struggle with rising rents and displacement, some Columbia-owned apartments remain vacant. Following months of community advocacy, Columbia agreed to make 12 apartments available to community residents at affordable rents. But 12 apartments are not enough, and neighbors have already identified at least 10 additional vacant units. With a nearly $16 billion endowment and more than $20 billion in net assets, Columbia has both the property and the resources to do more. We call on Columbia to make all of its currently vacant apartments permanently available to community residents at genuinely affordable rents. Every unit should be rent-stabilized and remain available to the community after the initial tenant moves out. It is time for the University to be a better neighbor.

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Petition created on September 10, 2026