New York RealEstateRama

U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Stephanie W. Cowart, 58, of Grand Island, NY, pleaded guilty to theft concerning programs receiving federal funds before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Cowart’s son and daughter-in-law, Allen, 31, and Fredia, 28, both of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of theft of government funds which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine

The New York Department of State will hold a public meeting followed immediately by a public hearing on December 11 at 2:00 p.m, regarding the profession of real estate salespersons and brokers.  The meeting will take place at the following office locations: 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, 276 Waring Road, Rochester; and, 123 William Street, New York City. 

Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) announced the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads program will reimburse the U.S. Forest Service $335,408 and $160,000, respectively, to reconstruct federally-owned roads damaged by heavy rains in December 2015. Roe released the following statement

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony today. We all agree that there can be zero tolerance for exposing children to lead paint poisoning and recognize that this hearing responds to very legitimate concerns about conditions that should not exist in public housing. At the same time, the focus should be on fixing the underlying conditions, not on chastising NYCHA management or the Administration for a bureaucratic error. This is an opportunity for the City Council and all of us to support Shola Olatoye and her team as they struggle against great odds to preserve and renew the nation’s largest inventory of publically-owned affordable housing.

The Office of General Services Commissioner today announced that the following six businesses have recently been certified by the Office of General Services’ (OGS) Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development (DSDVBD)

Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) joined Reps. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa) to introduce legislation which will strengthen public-private partnerships and boost investment in America’s infrastructure. The Move America Act will expand private activity bonds and infrastructure tax credits, which will attract billions of dollars in capital and give state and local governments greater flexibility to fund critical infrastructure projects.

Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) and local officials condemned a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny an anticipated annual federal investment of over $500,000 to Hudson River Housing. If no action is taken, funding will run out and the program will be terminated after September 30th

State Office of General Services Commissioner RoAnn Destito and State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia today announced that visitors to Albany will have the opportunity to take free tours of both the State Education Building and the Capitol on every Saturday, beginning on October 7, due to the overwhelming popularity of Saturday tours that were being offered once a month.

In the toughest action to date, Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, is calling for Wells Fargo to be excluded from participation in the federal mortgage guarantee program following a disturbing, recurring pattern of consumer fraud. Higgins made the request in a letter to the Federal Housing Administration

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announces plans to transform the historic Greenpoint Hospital site into a new affordable housing development. The agency today issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking proposals for the design, construction, and management of a high quality, sustainable, mixed-use, mixed-income project on 3.4-acres in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

On Thursday, August 24, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, joined New York Housing Conference, affordable housing advocates, and residents for a walking tour of Scheuer Gardens, a 116-unit senior housing development in the Bronx. Following the tour, Crowley led a roundtable discussion to raise awareness of the importance of federal investments in affordable housing and highlight the need for senior developments like Scheuer Gardens.

Amid a national rental affordability crisis, Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced his introduction of the bipartisan First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act. The bill will allow Americans to withdraw up to $25,000 from their IRA for the purchase of their first home without being penalized when they file their taxes. Experts agree that homeownership is one of the best ways for middle class Americans to save for retirement

Congressman Tom Reed announced that C-S Canal Hydro, LLC, in Waterloo, New York, is the recipient of a Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency grant for $99,500 for the purchase and installation of a trash rake at a Hydroelectric facility.

Representatives from the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. joined Radson Development and project partners to celebrate the start of construction of Martin Luther King Plaza (MLK Plaza), a brand new 167-unit affordable housing development located at 869 East 147thStreet in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx.

Mayor Richard C. David today announced the completion 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.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit,which reported that total household debt increased by $114 billion (0.9%) to $12.84 trillion in the second quarter of 2017. There were modest increases in mortgage, auto and credit card debt (increasing by 0.7%, 2% and 2.6% respectively), no change to student loan debt and a modest decline in balances on home equity lines of credit (decreasing by 0.9%).

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer announces an update on the progress made to improve conditions at the buildings included on the tenth annual Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP) list.  Since the 2017 AEP list was released in February, 138 buildings have improved conditions and met the criteria for discharge from the program. The AEP list identifies 250 distressed multifamily residential buildings with HPD violations and allows for enhanced enforcement, which includes roof to cellar inspections, fees, and an AEP Order to Correct the underlying conditions of the HPD violations.  These enhanced enforcement tools are used to improve living conditions for each building’s residents

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) announced a series of Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) grants totaling $1.75 million for infrastructure projects around New York’s 21st Congressional District.

Representatives from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) joined Radson Development, Citi Community Capital, and project partners today for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of Strivers Plaza, a new affordable housing development located at 275 West 140th Street in the Central Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan.

Congressman Eliot Engel and the Coalition for the Homeless are again teaming-up to help New York City's homeless children get ready for school with "Project: Back to School," a drive to collect school supplies for the thousands of school age children living in the city's homeless shelters.

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance today announced the opening of a $3.2 million housing development for homeless youth in Yonkers. The Bruce Avenue Youth (BAY) House, operated by Westhab, Inc., provides four units and 16 beds of transitional housing for young adults, ages 18-24.

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced that Northrop Grumman Amherst Systems has been awarded a $10,367,772 contract with the United States Air Force through the Department of Defense for the production of additional Joint Threat Emitter systems

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) announced new federal funding from the Department of Transportation for the Perry-Warsaw Airport. Administered through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), this $45,000 grant will fund the construction of a new snow removal equipment building to extend the life of the equipment by protecting it from adverse weather conditions.

Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced he is taking legislative action to ensure the Department of Defense pays for the remediation of PFOS and PFOA contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base. Rep. Maloney is introducing an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2018, which would require $35 million to be used specifically for mitigation actions at National Guard installations where site inspections revealed PFC contamination. Rep. Maloney also supported the inclusion of language in the bill to provide an additional $15 million to Department of Defense for carbon filtration of PFCs at contaminated sites like Stewart.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that the cleanup of properties in neighborhoods near the former Geneva Foundry Site in the city of Geneva, Ontario County, is scheduled to begin in July.