City Planning Green Lights 70 Supportive and Affordable Units in Brownsville

The City Planning Commission approved the construction of 70 new affordable and supportive units in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood. On March 8, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to designate the properties at 210–214 Hegeman Avenue as an Urban Development Action Area and Project, and for the disposition of the lots. The designation and sale would facilitate the construction of an eight-story, … <Read More>


Three-Quarter Housing: Council Seeks to Address Blight [UPDATE: City Council Approves Legislation]

UPDATE: On February 1, 2017, the City Council voted 47-0 to approve four bills that would help protect tenants of three-quarter houses in New York City. During the vote, Council Member Donovan Richards called three-quarter houses a wide spread problem that would not be cured by the bills and that the City would need to track progress on the issue to determine future responses. Council Member Ritchie Torres called predatory operators of three-quarter houses the … <Read More>


Comptroller Audit Reveals Potential Problems With DHS Providers Oversight

Comptroller’s audit finds that DHS’ fiscal operations could reduce the effectiveness of DHS’ oversight over providers. On January 24, 2017, the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit of Samaritan Daytop Village Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that provides shelter and services to homeless individuals and families under a contract with the Department of Homeless Services. The audit sought to evaluate whether payments to Samaritan and the payment rates were … <Read More>


Developer Withdraws Proposal Following Public Controversy over Affordable Housing

Phipps Houses withdrew its application for its ten-story, Barnett Avenue development following a lack of community support. On September 20, 2016, Phipps Houses, the oldest and largest not-for-profit developer of affordable housing in New York City, withdrew its Barnett Avenue development proposal—the day before its scheduled public hearing in front of the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. Phipps Houses had sought a zoning map change and two zoning text amendments to … <Read More>


Three New Rules Ease New York City Contract Process

The procurement policy board, which makes the contracting rules for the City of New York, recently adopted rules that will make it easier for the City to manage how it purchases goods and services. The most important rule in terms of large purchases will allow the City to award competitively-bid contracts for goods and services based on price plus previously announced best value considerations. Before, contracts for goods and services had to be awarded … <Read More>


Center for New York City Law Breakfast: Speaker Christine C. Quinn

This morning the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School hosted one of its City Law Breakfasts. The event was co-hosted by the Center for Real Estate Studies.  New York Law School and the Center were honored to have City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn as this morning’s speaker.

Speaker Quinn was introduced by the Center’s founder and Director, Ross Sandler. Quinn began by thanking Ross Sandler and praising … <Read More>