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>


The Rooftops Conference 2016

The Rooftops Conference NYC 2016, to be held on Friday, April 1st, will be our sixth annual symposium for the not-for-profit sector focused on the role of real estate — owned, leased, or hosted physical space — in the operations, financial performance, and achievement of mission by not-for-profit organizations of all sizes and mission types.

Panelists from the not-for-profit sector, the real estate industry, and the professions will explore themes illustrating how not-for-profit executives, … <Read More>


Public Advocate Investigation Reveals HPD’s Grossly Inadequate Oversight of Homeownership Programs

Investigation uncovers HPD’s 13 years of failing to enforce housing program requirements against developers and depriving the City of affordable housing and resources. On February 29, 2016, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James released a report on an investigation conducted by her office into 26 residential properties in Brooklyn. The 26 properties had been given to a nonprofit developer to be rehabilitated and resold, subject to affordable housing income restrictions, as part of the … <Read More>


Comptroller Releases Findings of Lost City Revenue in Audit of Department of Finance

The audit report reveals that the misclassification of 140 properties has deprived the City of $1.7 million annually in lost property tax revenue. On February 18, 2016, the Office of the NYC Comptroller publicized the results from its audit of the New York City Department of Finance.  The audit sought to investigate whether the Department of Finance had implemented procedures that adequately safeguard against the misclassification of Brooklyn property sites. The Comptroller’s Office and DOF … <Read More>


Legislation Proposed in NY State Assembly Would Put an End to Online Advertising of Illegal Short-Term Apartment Rentals

Elected officials and affordable housing activists unite at State capitol in support of the legislation.  On February 24, 2016, 300 members and supporters of the Share Better coalition rallied at the State capitol in support of Assembly Bill A08704, which would ban most online listings advertising rental apartments for less than thirty days per renter. Bill A08704 was proposed to the State Assembly approximately one month after a report was released to the public that … <Read More>


Scooters, Hoverboards, and Bicycles; What’s Legal?

New Yorkers enjoy many new forms of transportation such as electric scooters, electric bicycles, hoverboards, skateboards, in-line skates, electric wheelchairs, and more. The laws governing these forms of transportation are confusing and mostly unenforced, if they are even enforceable. State laws and regulations on vehicle and roadway usage typically trump conflicting local laws, except in New York City, where the New York City Council has been given much authority to promulgate laws and regulations on … <Read More>