The Governor, Attorney General and Mayor yesterday announced settlements to “re-regulate” 1800 apartments whose owners had accepted 421a tax benefits but not offered stabilized leases to tenants, and listed 52 owners allegedly still not in compliance.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer wants the Human Rights Commission to crack down on property owners who are advertising “no vouchers,” or “no Section 8” on Craigslist, in apparent violation of City laws against discriminating by source of income.
Stringer also attacked the Mayor’s proposed affordable housing plan for East New York yesterday, arguing somehow that adding about 6300 units would lead to displacement of 50,000 unregulated low income tenants in the neighborhood. The Manhattan and Brooklyn borough boards piled on this week, voting to join the Bronx and Queens in opposing the Mayor’s citywide rezoning plan for affordable housing.
Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be appealing his conviction this week of Honest Services Law violations and Hobbs Act fraud. The Supreme Court has taken a dim view of Honest Services law convictions without a specific quid pro quo. Interestingly, the Hobbs Act seems to allow convictions for politicians who promise a quid pro quo and then don’t deliver.
Forest City Ratner has notified the State Labor Department of possible layoffs at its Brooklyn modular housing plant.
Mayor de Blasio this week announced a plan for NYCHA to coordinate with the police department to evict dangerous tenants from public housing. Apparently he wants to create a public list of unwelcome people — but no word yet on whether the Council will introduce legislation to bar private landlords from using it.
The Council, meanwhile, is asking the administration to consider waiving all property taxes on 1271 limited income co-ops. This is evidently the politicians’ solution to the problem that taxes are too high for low income homeowners who were given their apartments when taxes were too high for the prior private building owners.
Join us at 8:30 a.m. December 15th for CHIP’s Annual panel “Build Buy Sell Hold”: Strategies and Expectations for the NYC Real Estate Market —What are the expectations for 2016 and beyond? Who is selling and who is buying, and why? Are we witnessing the creation of the next bubble? What are the alternative investments to NYC residential real estate? The event will be moderated by Greg David, of Crains New York Business, at the New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th St. Free for CHIP members. $50 for non-members. RSVP: Call (212) 838-7442 and ask for John or email rsvp@chipnyc.org