Did you know that BuildingsNY at the Javits Center is NOW ONLY 4 MINUTES FROM TIMES SQUARE on the 7 train? Discuss your cases with representatives from DOB, HPD, DOF, DEP, DOS and Con Ed at CHIP’s City Hall at BuildingsNY sessions, Tuesday, and come early for the keynote by Planning Commissioner Carl Weisbrod at 8:45 a.m. Advance registration is free.
Tenant advocates have launched a concerted attack on vacancy allowances in advance of the Rent Guidelines Board hearings and the end of the Legislative session in Albany. Tuesday, the Community Service Society blamed what they call the “eviction bonus” for almost 50% of the increase in stabilized rents above inflation. The statistics in the report are based on some questionable assumptions, however, and, strikingly, make no attempt to show any relationship between evictions and rising rent levels.
Yesterday, StabilizingNYC, a two year old coalition of other tenant groups, and several state and local politicians, called out ten real estate companies for allegedly harassing tenants to vacate.
In a strange political twist, this week, the two tenant members of the Westchester Rent Guidelines Board resigned in protest over the selection of a public member by DHCR. The State appoints board members in ETPA counties after nominations from the County Legislatures. The new public member the tenants objected to for his presumed landlord bias is attorney Michael Rosenblatt, currently of counsel to Rosenberg & Estis. Rosenblatt was formerly Deputy Counsel to DHCR and Bureau Chief of the Rent Control Bureau at the agency.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Tuesday, announced that it was doubling the overtime salary limit to $47,476, effective December 1st. ABO’s parent, NAHB, and other national property owner groups are supporting legislation to overturn the rule, which is expected to make flexible scheduling more difficult and costly.
If you built a particularly energy efficient apartment building this year you have until May 31st to enter the Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Awards competition.