Mayor Bill de Blasio Reports on Progress of Housing New York Plan

The Mayor’s Administration is ahead of schedule in achieving its goal to build 200,000 affordable homes in 10 years. On July 26, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an update on the progress that has been made to achieve the goals set forth in his Housing New York plan, which seeks to build 200,000 affordable homes in 10 years. The Housing New York plan met the conclusion of its second fiscal year on June 30, … <Read More>


Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Announces New Legal Enforcement Team for Housing Related Offenses

The new Real Estate Enforcement Unit will be in charge of investigating tenant harassment and related complaints. On July 7, 2016, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced his new plan to create a new legal enforcement team to combat tenant harassment and related housing issues affecting New York residents. These new initiatives come in the wake of several crackdowns on housing related incidents.


Council Housing Committee Holds Hearing on Fiscal Year 2017 Executive Budgets

The respective budgets provide for increased operating funds to implement new departmental initiatives. On May 11, 2016, the City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings and the Committee on Finance jointly held back-to-back public hearings on the Department of Buildings’ and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Fiscal Year 2017 Executive Budgets, respectively, which seek to provide each Department with an increased budget to implement the new initiatives introduced within the respective Executive Budgets.


Say Hello to Mandatory Inclusionary Housing!

Almost 55 percent of all renter households in New York City now pay more than 30 percent of their income towards housing costs, an increase of 11 percent since 2000. As a consequence, the City Planning Commission found that “many of the city’s neighborhoods are becoming less economically diverse, which poses a threat to the city’s economic competitiveness as well as to the opportunities available to lower-income New Yorkers.”

Mandatory Inclusionary Housing is one of … <Read More>


Full Council Passes Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability Proposals by an Overwhelmingly Majority Vote

Despite disruption from Council public gallery, the modified plans were adopted without suspense.  On March 22, 2016, the City Council voted to approve Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposals at its stated meeting. The full vote follows extensive modifications by the Council to the original plan. The approved text amendments are significantly different from the earlier versions voted on by the Community Board and City Planning. For … <Read More>


City Council Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Mayor’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Proposal

Hard-hitting questions from several Council members explored ways affordable housing could be provided at deeper levels of affordability.  On February 9, 2016, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing proposal.  The hearing was held in the City Council Chambers in City Hall to accommodate the capacity audience.