Explore everything there is to know about Mitchell-Lama Housing. Currently, about 45,000 apartments in New York City are subject to Mitchell-Lama regulation. Named after New York State Senator, MacNeil Mitchell, and Assemblyman Alfred Lama, Mitchell Lama is a housing program designed to create and maintain affordable housing to middle-income individuals in New York. The apartments under the Mitchell-Lama program includes cooperative apartments ("co-ops") and rentals.