City Council Members Torres and Levine Introduce Bill to Create Affordable Housing Watchlist and Online Map

The watchlist and online map would keep track of affordable housing rental units at-risk of becoming unaffordable, as defined by specified criteria. On April 7, 2016, New York City Council Members Ritchie Torres and Mark Levine introduced a bill to implement the creation of a watchlist for affordable residential rental units Citywide that are at risk of losing their affordable-housing status.  The bill provides the requisite criteria to be met by a residential rental unit … <Read More>


New York State Assembly Housing Committee Chair Keith Wright Proposes Bill to Subsidize Affordable and Senior Housing

The bill seeks to fill the gap left open by the expiration of 421-a, the decades-old tax exemption program that expired on January 1, 2016.  On March 15, 2016, New York State Assembly Housing Committee Chair Keith Wright, who represents Manhattan, introduced Assembly bill A9537, which would provide for new, taxpayer-funded affordable housing subsidies and job training programs. If enacted, the bill would incentivize the construction of affordable housing and affordable senior housing through subsidies, … <Read More>


HPD Proposes to Implement Extension of Existing 421-a Affordable Housing Tax Abatement Program

HPD brought charges of tenant harassment against an Aimco-owned building in the Upper West Side. Image credit: HPD

The “421-a Extended Affordability Program Rules” would provide a 10 to 15 year extension to eligible buildings enrolled in the program prior to its expiration. On March 14, 2016, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development proposed two agency rules to extend the 421-a real property tax exemption program for those who already had been benefiting from the program prior to its expiration in June 2015. The State authorized HPD to promulgate the new rules … <Read More>


Full City Council to Vote Today on Mayor’s Affordable Housing Proposals [UPDATE: MIH & ZQA Pass Full Council]

Full vote follows Committee approval following extensive modifications after receiving community input and testimony for months. On March 17, 2016, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and the Committee on Land Use each voted on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposals. The full Council is expected to approve the proposals at today’s City Council Stated Meeting. To see CityLand‘s comprehensive chart outlining the … <Read More>


City Council Member Ben Kallos Proposes Bill to Unify the City Government’s Interactive Websites, Including the City’s Affordable Housing Site

If enacted, all governmental online services and portals will be centralized in one manageable location online and on a mobile phone app.  On March 9, 2016, City Council Member Ben Kallos issued a press release announcing the proposal of a bill to streamline New York City’s interactive websites to one location.  By utilizing Single Sign-on, or SSO, technology, users would be required to remember only one username and password to gain access to their own … <Read More>


City Officials Continue Push Against Airbnb Bad Actors

Following Mayor’s appearance on Daily Show, Deputy Mayor Glen calls on release of names of bad hosts.   On March 7, 2016, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen requested that Airbnb provide the City with the names and addresses of the hosts illegally using its website.  Deputy Mayor Glen’s letter was written in the wake Mayor Bill de Blasio’s March 3rd appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, where he discussed the … <Read More>