A housing manager is going to jail for a year and day for taking bribes from tenants to jump a Section 8 housing waiting list. Turns out it is a federal crime.
The New York City Housing Authority is running a $77 million dollar deficit this year and needs $18 billion in capital improvements, according to a New York Times report this week. Turns out that one problem with subsidized housing is not enough subsidies, which could put a crimp in the Mayor’s affordable housing plans, according to the article.
Subsidies of a different sort made news on the west coast, where, according to the Wall Street Journal, mobile homes in Malibu are selling for millions. The article failed to mention one big reason for the high prices besides the ocean views: rent controlled parking spaces for the trailers. By one estimate a couple of years ago, the mobile home parks assessed at $11 million would be assessed at $500 million if they were decontrolled.
The Building Congress quarterly construction outlook out this week forecast record spending of $10.2 billion on housing construction in New York City this year. But the 20,000 new units predicted are only two thirds the number produced annually between 2005 and 2008, which cost a lot less.
NYSERDA is hosting a tour of multifamily energy conservation methods on site at 330 MacDougal Street, Brooklyn, Thursday, September 4th, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. The new building features modular construction, heat recovery ventilation, energy star equipment, and solar power. See it all in action and find out how the government helped pay for it.
Ever wonder how someone can mess up replacing a toilet? NAHB’s Home Innovation Research Lab is looking for interested plumbers, contractors, and building owners to help develop a standard for certifying Plumbing Fixture Replacement Technicians.