HPD Announces Settlement Reached with Building Owner Over Harassment and Violations

The landlord had previously topped the NYC Public Advocate’s Worst Landlord Watchlist. On November 22, 2021, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced that a settlement had been reached with Jason Korn, a Brooklyn-based landlord over outstanding building violations and tenant harassment in six buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan. 


Mayor Announces Waivers of Fees as Part of Ida Recovery Response

The waiver of fees relieves an additional burden for property owners already dealing with storm damage. On September 7, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Emergency Executive Order 235, which allows the Department of Buildings and Department of Environmental Protection to waive fees associated with various permits or applications that will be needed by property owners for storm damage repair. 


Homeowner denied repair funds

Brooklyn resident sought City funds to repair damages allegedly caused by Super Storm Sandy. Christopher McCollum applied to the Build it Back program through the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations for financial help to repair his house at 500 Marlborough Rd in Brooklyn. McCollum claimed that Super Storm Sandy, which hit New York City on October 22, 2012, damaged his home. McCollum claimed funds were needed to repair broken and cracked windows and damage … <Read More>


NYCHA Launches New Team to Handle Lead Removal for Residences with Young Children

The program helps target apartments with lead paint that young children frequent. On July 14, 2021, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) launched the Team for Enhanced Management Planning and Outreach (TEMPO). The TEMPO program is dedicated to outreach, inspection and remediation of lead-based paint in NYCHA apartments where a child under the age of 6 lives or routinely spends ten or more hours a week.


City Begins Construction on First of Borough-Based Jails in Kew Gardens

The structure will provide over 600 parking spaces and 25,000 square feet of flexible community space. On June 25, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the start of construction at one of the City’s four borough-based jails sites in Kew Gardens, Queens. The borough-based jails are part of the City’s controversial solution to shut down Rikers Island and replace the complex with four smaller, locally based jails in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn. The <Read More>


DDC Announces Opening of New Library Branch on Roosevelt Island

The new site is ADA-compliant and meets LEED Silver Certification standards. On January 25, 2021, NYC Department of Design and Construction (“DDC”) Commissioner Lorraine Grillo announced the opening of a new library on Roosevelt Island. The new library, located at 504 Main Street, is located near its former site. The new 5,200-square-foot library is more than double the size of the former NYPL branch.