Mayor Bill de Blasio today joined the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, development partners, federal, state and local elected officials to mark the commencement of passenger service on the number 7 Subway extension and the opening of a new station at 34th Street and 11th Avenue to link New Yorkers, workers and visitors to Manhattan’s Far West Side. The extension of the 7 Subway line west from Times Square was funded by a $2.4 billion investment by the City of New York

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced, following his push, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has approved a $150,000 grant for the home of famed landscape artist and founder of the Hudson River School, Thomas Cole. Schumer’s announcement comes after he secured $460,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to uncover recently discovered decorative friezes, which are believed to have been painted by Cole in 1836.

The New York State Department of Financial Services has directed New York banks to comply with New York's abandoned property law -- a statute that helps ensure consumers and businesses receive old, unclaimed account funds. NYDFS has identified several recent public notices issued by banks regarding unclaimed account funds that are confusing or non-compliant with the law -- such as newspaper notices of unclaimed accounts that are organized alphabetically by first, rather than last name

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a settlement that requires Evans Bank, N.A. and Evans Bancorp, Inc. (together, “Evans”) to end unlawful discriminatory mortgage practices, known as “redlining.” The practices denied access to mortgage loans to borrowers in predominantly African-American neighborhoods in the city of Buffalo because of the racial composition of those communities.

Tenants at 90 Elizabeth Street today filed a lawsuit in Manhattan Housing Court against their landlord, James Fong, who has taken actions that have made their lives intolerable in an effort to force them to surrender their tenancy rights. (Above, Legal Services NYC Manhattan program client Betty Eng shows off a pipe that was ripped from her bathroom by building workers.)

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer wrote an op-ed published today in the New York Daily Newson steps the City can take to help alleviate the homeless crisis in our City. Some of the main points from the op-ed are highlighted below

Standing on Post Avenue in Rochester, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today launched his push to fight steep funding cuts that have been proposed in the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill that would negatively impact Rochester and Finger Lakes Region communities. Schumer explained that this cut would effectively decimate critical funding that Rochester relies on for home rehabilitation and ownership programs, neighborhood revitalization efforts and more. Schumer explained that the FY 2016 THUD bill, which was passed out of the Appropriations Committee

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) today filed a lawsuit against the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) on behalf of two tenants who speak little to no English, and for whom NYCHA refused to provide interpretation and translation services as required under federal and city law, as well as under NYCHA’s own policies.

Governor Cuomo announced that he is deploying trained personnel from the Department of Financial Services to Johnstown and Ilion to continue offering foreclosure prevention assistance to financially struggling homeowners in the Mohawk Valley. The deployment will also provide information and guidance to student borrowers facing difficulties in repaying student loans.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, joined by Commissioner James S. Rubin of New York State Homes and Community Renewal and Commissioner Vicki Been of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, today announced that notices have been sent to 194 building owners who accepted lucrative tax breaks under the state’s “421-a” program without fulfilling the law’s rent-regulation requirements. The building owners who received notifications provide housing to more than 2,400 families and individuals in New York City who are entitled to rent-regulated leases under the law.

Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined by Erie County Legislator Peter Savage (3rd District), Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Anthony Caruana, Mayor of the City of Tonawanda Rick Davis, elected officials, representatives of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (“NFTA”) and New York State Department of Transportation (“NYSDOT”), and residents to review the Tonawanda Rails to Trails Project, a 4-mile long connecting trail that runs from Kenmore Avenue in the Town of Tonawanda to State Street in the City of Tonawanda.

Members of the Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) senior management team joined Governor Andrew M. Cuomo at his Capital for a Day in the Mohawk Valley recently to demonstrate the agency's commitment to New Yorkers in the region through its various revitalization programs. The day featured a walking tour of the Cornhill community in Utica, a neighborhood that is undergoing revitalization, and a roundtable discussion in the City of Amsterdam on housing and community revitalization needs and priorities

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a federal grant of $3,365,733 in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration funding and $325,000 in Healthy Homes supplemental funding for the City of Rochester. This critical funding will provide necessary resources to spur collaboration between the Rochester Housing Authority and the Monroe County Department of Health to prevent lead poisoning accidents. With this funding the City of Rochester will now be able to address lead hazards

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a federal grant of $2,217,833 in Lead Hazard Control funding for Chautauqua County to address lead hazards in 150 housing units. This critical funding will provide necessary resources to spur collaboration between Chautauqua County and local organizations, including the Jamestown and Dunkirk Housing Authorities, in order toreduce the number of lead-poisoned children and protect families by targeting health hazards in homes with significant lead and other home health and safety hazards.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that Verizon will, in response to local concerns regarding a long-abandoned building in the Village of Camillus, level and clean up the property that has become a community eye-sore for the last 20 years. Last week, Schumer visited the Village and urged Verizon to be a good neighbor and clean up this site so it is no longer an eye sore or can one day be used for other purposes

Members of the Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) senior management team joined Governor Andrew M. Cuomo at his Capital for a Day in the Mohawk Valley recently to demonstrate the agency's commitment to New Yorkers in the region through its various revitalization programs. The day featured a walking tour of the Cornhill community in Utica, a neighborhood that is undergoing revitalization, and a roundtable discussion in the City of Amsterdam on housing and community revitalization needs and priorities

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a $6 million dollar settlement with Empire State Home Care Services, Inc. (Empire), a home care agency operating out of Brooklyn, NY. The settlement resolves claims that Empire improperly reported its home health aide hours as well as administrative and general expenses on cost reports filed between 2002 and 2005. These cost reports were used to set the reimbursement rates that Empire received from the state for the years 2004 through 2007 and resulted in over $3 million in reimbursements to which Empire was not entitled

Current Senate Bill Slashes HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Funding By More Than 90% From Fiscal Year 2015 Levels – Effectively Decimating Critical Funding Streams For Capital Region

Mayor Bill de Blasio joined Queens officials, the Arker Companies today to break ground at the Beach Channel Senior Apartments in Far Rockaway, Queens. When completed in 2017, the seven-story, mixed-use development will be 100 percent affordable, providing apartments for 154 low-income seniors, including 46 for formerly homeless seniors.

Ads Promote AGScamHelp.com, A Web-Based App that Educates Consumers On How To Avoid And Report Mortgage Rescue Scams And Obtain Help From Trustworthy Organizations. Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a targeted advertising campaign and consumer education initiative to help New York homeowners spot, avoid, and report mortgage rescue scams

Tax Incentive Allows Businesses, Residents, and Municipalities to Install Solar Panels; However, They Only Receive These Benefits Upon Completion of the Project; With New Installations Contemplated in Rose, Williamson, City of Rochester, Henrietta, and Parma, Uncertainty About Solar Tax Credit’s Future Could Hamper Growth of Burgeoning Local Solar Companies

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that he is deploying Department of Financial Services’ Mobile Command Center to four Mohawk Valley locations to offer advice and assistance to New York consumers, as part of his “Capital for a Day” initiative to bring state government to the Mohawk Valley. The deployment is focused on assistance related to two specific issues: homeowners at risk of foreclosure and borrowers facing difficulties with student loans.

The New York Department of State will hold a public meeting followed immediately by a public hearing on Wednesday, August 26, 2015 at 10:30a.m., regarding the profession of real estate salespersons and brokers. The meeting will take place at the following office locations: 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, 65 Court Street, Buffalo; and, 123 William Street, New York City. The public has the right to attend the meeting at any of these locations.

Village of Penn Yan Applied to FEMA for $2.5M for Repairs, But More Than $410,000 Needed for Most Visible Repairs Had Yet to Be Approved By FEMA – In July, Schumer Urged FEMA to Expedite Requests & Approve Final 5 Projects Desperately Needed in Penn Yan

New York state continues to have high levels of foreclosure activity with new foreclosure filings remaining significantly higher than prerecession levels, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli