Subcommittee Criticizes City’s Lack of Planning at Lambert Houses [UPDATE: City Council Approves with Modifications]

UPDATE: On November 29, 2016, the City Council voted 49-0 to approve the Lambert Houses application with modification. The approved application now includes the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing option with deep affordability—half of the apartments will now be affordable for those making 30 percent or less of the average median income. The City has committed $12.3 million for infrastructure improvements in the West Farms area, including the construction of two new schools in the area—adding at … <Read More>


DOI Report Exposes NYCHA’s Failure to Maintain Fire Safety Devices

The Department of Investigation’s Report found that NYCHA maintenance workers were negligent in their duties to ensure smoke and CO detectors were functioning. On October 4, 2016, the Department of Investigation issued a Report finding that New York City Housing Authority maintenance workers frequently ignored their obligation to perform safety checks and often falsified documents to cover up their negligence. DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters stated in the Report that, “DOI has now found that … <Read More>


Large Bruckner Boulevard Sign Rejected

OTR Media sought to legalize an 11,297-square-foot billboard visible from the Bruckner Expressway. On January 14, 2013, the Department of Buildings issued a Sign Registration Rejection letter denying registration for a sign leased by OTR Media Group. The 79- by 143-foot sign, constructed in 1962, was located at 330 Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx—35 feet from and within view of the Bruckner Expressway. Buildings based its rejection on a seven-year gap from 1981 to 1988 … <Read More>


Carolyn Lisa Miller: Executive Director of the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board

Carolyn Lisa Miller was born in Manhattan and raised in Edison, New Jersey. After graduating from Princeton University in 1992 with an English degree, she earned a JD from Columbia Law School in 1995. Miller has worked almost exclusively as a government attorney since she graduated law school.



City Relying on 1962 State Law to Combat Irresponsible Landlords

City forces eight landlords to fix building code violations in twelve buildings by threatening to stop paying rent for tenants on public assistance. On May 26, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Letitia James announced the use of the 1962 New York State Spiegel Law as a tool to compel landlords to fix violations for tenants receiving public assistance. Landlords who do not complete repairs quickly will lose out on rent payments.