Housing Mobility Program 2023

Dear Colleague:

The Office of the Provost is very pleased to again offer the Housing Mobility Program (HMP), an application-based initiative which offers faculty members financial support for relocating out of Columbia housing or downsizing from a large Columbia apartment into a smaller one. The deadline to apply is Friday, November 17, 2023.

About the Program

(Revised October 2023)

The goals of the HMP are to free up apartments for new and newly tenured faculty and to decrease the backlog of transfer requests from growing families, especially retention cases. The program will provide benefits to tenants seeking compensation to downsize or move out of the University system.

The process begins with an applicant’s statement of what type of financial package would provide sufficient compensation to downsize or move. Benefits for participants are varied and may include a decrease in monthly rent, loans, lump sum or income supplement payments, a modernized apartment, and mortgage assistance. All lump sum or moving expense benefits are payable within 45 days of moving out of the current apartment. Participants may receive a taxable moving allowance of $5,000 in addition to whatever other benefits may be agreed upon. Funding for the Program is limited, and submission of an application does not guarantee receipt of benefits. The HMP is a program available to certain tenants (see Eligibility). The Office of the Provost of Columbia University may choose to modify or discontinue the program.

Please see the links below for information about benefits for active employees, benefits for retired employees and their surviving spouses, eligibility requirements, and application materials. This year’s application deadline is Friday, November 17, 2023.

Benefit to Relocate Out of University Housing

Certain Columbia tenants who are retired employees or their surviving spouses may apply to receive a taxable transition payment in addition to a taxable $5,000 moving allowance. Columbia strongly encourages retired employees or their surviving spouses to apply to move out of Columbia Housing in exchange for these benefits.

Certain Columbia tenants who are currently active employees may apply for financial assistance to purchase or rent a principal residence within commuting distance of the campus. Assistance may take the following forms.

  • Forgivable loan (for purchase only)
  • Income supplement (payable for no more than ten years)
  • Shared Appreciation Second Mortgage, or
  • Taxable moving allowance of up to $5,000
  • Any combination of these four

Details are specified in the program descriptions available online. Full-time faculty at CUIMC and the Law School are also eligible to apply to the HMP.

Benefit to Downsize to a Smaller University Apartment

Certain Columbia tenants who are retired employees or their surviving spouses and who wish to downsize to a smaller Columbia apartment may apply. Those accepted may receive:

  • A decrease in monthly rent expenses
  • Taxable moving allowance of up to $5,000
  • Choice of smaller apartment renovated, if needed, to current Columbia standard
  • Taxable one-time payment
  • Any combination of these four

Certain Columbia tenants who are currently active employees and who wish to downsize to a smaller Columbia apartment may apply to downsize. Those accepted may receive:

  • A decrease in monthly rent expenses
  • Taxable moving allowance of up to $5,000
  • Choice of smaller apartment renovated, if needed, to current Columbia standard
  • Modest taxable one-time transition payment, or
  • Taxable annual income supplement for up to ten years. Payments are contingent on remaining current on rent payments and subject to the condition that the employee remains eligible for Columbia housing per the “Columbia University Faculty Housing Policy.”
  • Any combination of these five

Completed applications for relocation or downsizing benefits must be submitted to the Office of the Provost by Friday, November 17, 2023. These applications are important financial decisions and should be carefully considered.

Application decisions are generally made within 90 days of the application deadline, though the University may also respond after this time as well.

For downsizing applications, the timeline for final decisions about what specific apartment a tenant will move to depend on unit availability at and after the time of the application. 

Acceptance into the Program will be determined by the University and may take into consideration the requested financial benefit; whether the application is for relocation or downsizing; anticipated demand for junior or senior faculty apartments; the size, location, and quality of the Columbia apartment currently occupied; and the University’s need for particular types of apartments at the time of application. The University may respond to any application with a counterproposal.

Applicants may be contacted to discuss their proposals.

The Office of the Provost typically consults with schools about applications that have been submitted by their faculty and other employees.

Applications for the Benefit to Downsize for Retirees and the Benefit to Relocate for Retirees require approval of the Provost.

Applications for the Benefit to Downsize for Active Employees and the Benefit to Relocate for Active Employees require approval by the relevant school dean, or for A&S by the Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and by the Provost. Applications by CUIMC also require approval by the Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine. If the Benefit to Relocate application includes a loan, approval by the University’s Executive Vice President for Finance and Information Technology is also required.

Generally, only tenants who are eligible to remain in their current Columbia apartment for the remainder of their lives may participate in the Housing Mobility Program.

Nothing in this Program Description shall change the Columbia University Faculty Housing Policy or any individual’s rights under that Policy in any manner.

Questions for Consideration

The University recognizes that moving to a new home involves complex planning and decision making on many levels and often over a long period of time. This flyer contains information about Professional Organizers and Senior Move Managers and the varied services these professionals offer. If you decide to enlist the services of one of these professionals, this expense would be your responsibility and may be something you include in your request as part of your application.

Additionally, Columbia’s Office of Work/Life has an incredibly helpful Moving Guide that addresses many relevant topics, including insurance, packing, storage, moving with pets, and taxes.

You make no commitment by inquiring about the program or asking questions to determine whether it might be appropriate for you. If you are ready to apply, please submit the completed Housing Mobility Program application to Carrie Marlin, Senior Associate Provost for Administration and Planning, at [email protected].

Funding for the Program is limited, and we are typically not able to accommodate all applicants. Submission of an application does not guarantee receipt of benefits. The University may reject your application or offer a counter-proposal.

We suggest you consult with a financial planner to discuss the expenses that would be associated with relocating. Additionally, the Housing Information and Referral Service, part of the Columbia University Office of Work/Life, is a rich source of resources related to the New York City real estate market, rental and purchasing options, hiring a professional organizer or senior move manager, and moving itself. Please contact Alice Lesman, Director of Housing Information and Referral, at [email protected] to set up an appointment.

If interested in downsizing to a smaller unit within the Columbia housing system, you will have the opportunity to view available units that could be downsizing options once you have applied and the University has confirmed preliminary interest in your application. If potential units are not available for viewing at that time, you will be contacted once there is an apartment available for you to view. 

We are unable to specify a range for applications, since each application will depend on many specifics, including whether the application is for relocation or downsizing; anticipated demand for junior or senior faculty apartments; the size, location, and quality of the Columbia apartment currently occupied; and the University’s need for particular types of apartments at the time of application. Submission of an application does not guarantee participation in the Program.

While there are no set application limits, any final agreement would have to represent a sensible investment by the University. The intent of this program is to ease what can be a difficult transition, and in recent rounds, applications requesting funding sufficient for a significant portion of a home purchase have been declined. The University is not bound to accept any application and an applicant is not bound to accept any counter-offer by the University. Ultimately, both parties would need to consent to and sign a final agreement.

While it is challenging to predict all future needs, you, your loved ones, and experienced financial professionals can work together to determine what type of expenses you will likely have. While this list is by no means inclusive, factors might include:

  • Characteristics of your current apartment, and for downsizing applicants, the characteristics you would consider in a new apartment. (For example, a significant potential decrease in square footage from your current apartment could be a consideration for you.)
  • Long-term needs, such as transit, accommodations for out-of-town guests, and the impact moving may have on medical and elder care.
  • Costs associated with moving, such as packing and moving expenses, first month’s rent and security deposit, down payment and closing costs, custom work done in your current apartment that you wish to replicate, and anticipated renovations.

When a tenant relocates outside of the Columbia housing system, the University has an additional unit to offer to new or newly tenured faculty. If a tenant downsizes to a smaller unit within the system, there is no net gain in the number of units to offer faculty. That is why the benefits available to a tenant for relocation may be higher value than the benefits for downsizing from the same apartment, although this is only one of several factors that determine the level of benefit that may be offered.

You may request certain characteristics, but there will be limits to what is available for consideration. Tenants who have applied to downsize to a smaller apartment and whose applications receive an offer to move forward would be shown apartments that are available at that time. The characteristics of these units will vary, depending on availability at that time, in terms of square footage, floor, location, natural light, and other factors. A finalized downsizing agreement between a tenant and the University would include renovation to current Columbia standards, if needed.

This is highly likely. Tenants who downsize will be considered for units that not only are smaller but also have lower monthly rent than their current units, unless they have indicated a willingness to consider units with rent equivalent or even higher than their current rent. Depending on the apartment ultimately chosen, a decrease in monthly rent is one of the key benefits offered by downsizing.

Applications for this round of the Housing Mobility Program are due on Friday, November 17, 2023. If an application was not accepted in a previous round, tenants may apply again. Additionally, the University may reconsider applications that it had rejected in previous cycles. The Office of the Provost may choose to modify or discontinue the program.