Yearly Archives: 2016

A four-count superseding indictment was unsealed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Cornell Bozier with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and three substantive counts of federal program bribery. From April 2011 to April 2013, Bozier served as the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners (the Board) at the Village of Hempstead Housing Authority (the VHHA).

The New York Power Authority today announced the completion of an energy-efficiency project at the New York State Museum that will save nearly $200,000 in annual energy and maintenance costs and reduce greenhouse gases by approximately 900 tons annually, the equivalent of taking 190 cars off the road.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded veterans to take advantage of the valuable year-round tax exemptions and credits available to them, their families, and employers

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that PHH Mortgage Corporation and its affiliate, PHH Home Loans LLC, will pay a $28 million fine and engage a third-party auditor as part of a consent order for violations of federal and New York laws designed to protect homeowners.

The Heating Equipment Repair/Replacement benefit of the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) opens today, November 7, 2016. If your home’s heating equipment needs repair or replacement please contact the Department of Family Services at 845-807-0142 to schedule a review of your situation and file an application, if needed

Mayor Richard C. David today announced construction of a 10-unit homeless veterans housing project at 27 Pine St. in Binghamton, the latest effort of Mayor David’s Blue Ribbon Commission to End Veteran Homelessness.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, along with NYS Senator Michael Gianaris, NYS Assembly Member Aravella Simotas, and NYC Council Member Costa Constantinides, were joined by local residents at a press conference to cheer Amtrak’s decision to halt any further actions or negotiations regarding properties many homeowners in Astoria have leased for decades.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a lawsuit against Marolda Properties, Inc., a Manhattan property management company that manages rent-regulated apartment buildings and the landlords who own the buildings. The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and Governor Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced $20 million in new funding, to be administered by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise), for New York State land banks that are working to protect homeowners and neighborhoods across the state by acquiring blighted homes and transforming them into community assets.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today filed a lawsuit against Marolda Properties, Inc., (“Marolda Properties”), a Manhattan property management company that manages rent-regulated apartment buildings in the New York City metropolitan area including in Chinatown and the Lower East Side, and affiliated landlords that own the buildings. The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit.

Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-19) submitted a letter to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (UT-3) requesting the committee investigate the response by New York State and federal officials to the contamination of drinking water in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh.

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the release of $325,060,769 in heating and home energy assistance funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (IG) to prioritize and provide a timeline for completing an investigation into mismanagement, failures in oversight, and potential fraud in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) immediately after the storm. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, thousands of New York homeowners were underpaid on their flood claims, potentially as the result of a fraudulent scheme to intentionally underpay policyholders by altering engineering reports

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the release of $325,060,769 in heating and home energy assistance funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months.

Mayor Bill de Blasio today held public hearings for, and signed, ten pieces of legislation into law, including a package of three green buildings bills – Intros. 1163-A, 1160 and 1165, in relation to energy and water benchmarking, lighting retrofitting and sub-metering requirements for mid-size buildings.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Vicki Been and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin today announced the opening of the Housing Connect lottery for 102 affordable apartments at Five Blue Slip in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This 100 percent affordable development was financed through the City’s Extremely Low & Low Income Affordability (ELLA) Program and Inclusionary Housing programs.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today announced plans to transform the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx into a 5-acre campus featuring 100% affordable housing, good jobs, and recreational space

The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (“FHLBNY”) today released its unaudited financial highlights for the quarter ended September 30, 2016. “Our members continue to rely on the dependable funding we provide, as reflected in the steady growth of our advances levels through the first nine months of the year,” said José R. González, president and CEO of the FHLBNY.

New York’s Department of Public Services staff delivered recommendations to state regulators as part of the state’s Value of Distributed Energy Resources initiative. The report marks the first major milestone in Reforming the Energy Vision process, and depicts a promising opportunity for solar to deliver job growth, healthy communities and grid resiliency to the Empire State.

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the grand opening of the $24.8 million Liberty Landing apartments in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County. The 59-unit supportive housing project, operated by Concern for Independent Living, offers residential based support services to formerly homeless veterans, in addition to affordable housing for low income Long Island families.

City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today released a wide-ranging investigation that found dangerous shortcomings in how child care services are provided to children age zero to three in City shelters, including a failure to ensure that child care workers undergo criminal background checks or enforce basic health and safety standards.  In short, the report found that child care services at City shelters are not subject to the same health and safety regulations that govern child care facilities outside of shelters.

The Empire State’s housing market has posted an 11-percent jump in home sales though the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, according to the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The year-to-date statewide median sales price grew 3 percent compared to last year.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has partnered with Albany County to complete comprehensive energy-saving improvements at the County Office Building and Family Court. The project will save about $88,000 in annual energy costs and remove roughly 540 tons of greenhouse gases annually

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods and Citi Community Development today announced plans to establish a groundbreaking city-wide community land trust (CLT) to advance affordable homeownership across the five boroughs of New York City. The CLT, which uses a non-profit approach to supporting community-controlled ownership of land, would create new affordable homeownership opportunities for middle- and working-class families over the long-term and shield homeowners from practices that can lead to foreclosure and displacement.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Vicki Been today announced the opening of The Residences at PS 186, a 79-apartment mixed-use affordable housing project that is also home to a more than 11,000-square-foot state-of-the-art clubhouse for the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH). The homes will be affordable to individuals earning as little as $24,000, and families with incomes of $31,000 a year.