Mayor’s Office Announces Conversion of Temporary Homeless Shelters into Permanent Affordable Housing

The conversion is another step in the City’s plan to address the homelessness crisis. On November 19, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced its transition into the second phase of a plan to convert temporary homeless shelters into permanently affordable housing units. According to the Mayor’s Office, this plan will help not-for-profit housing developers acquire and rehabilitate an additional 14 residential “cluster site” buildings, currently being used to house homeless families, and convert them into over … <Read More>


Mayor Announces New Piece of Manhattan Waterfront Greenway Near East Midtown

The 1.5 acre stretch of open space, to be completed by 2022, is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway initiative to create continuous loop around perimeter of Manhattan. On November 22, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio and top agency officials celebrated the commencement of construction of a new waterfront public open space, the East Midtown Greenway, which will stretch between East 53rd Street to East 61st Street. The East Midtown Greenway project … <Read More>


Mayor’s Office Announces Rockefeller Center Pedestrian Space Expansion for Holiday Season

Elected officials have previously called attention to dangerous crowd sizes in the area during the holiday season. On November 22, 2019, the Mayor’s Office announced a temporary expansion of the pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall for the holiday season. The area between 5th and 6th Avenues from 48th to 52nd Streets will be affected.


Mayor and Elected Officials Reach Agreement on East Side Coastal Resiliency Project

The agreement was announced two days before the City Council’s approval of the project’s land use applications. On November 12, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Member Margaret Chin, and Council Member Keith Powers reached an agreement on community investments and commitments relating to the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The agreement addresses the concerns raised by local elected officials and the community … <Read More>


Mayor’s Office Announces Launch of Ad Campaign to Promote Tenants Rights

de Blasio Administration educates tenants on Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. On October 21, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of a campaign to educate tenants on their new rights under the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.  The Mayor’s Office designed the advertisements to protect tenants and give New York City renters the information they need to hold their landlords accountable.


De Blasio Administration Expands Benefits of Rent Freeze Programs

The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act makes it possible to freeze rents at preferential rates for qualifying New Yorkers. On September 18, 2019, the de Blasio administration released guidance regarding renter rights under the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. This guidance will allow New Yorkers who pay preferential rents in rent stabilized apartments to benefit from the City’s Rent Freeze Programs.