Newly Constructed Sixty Unit Affordable Housing Development is Affordable to Extremely Low- and Low-Income New Yorkers and Includes Twelve Units Reserved for Youth Aging out of Foster Care

Congressman Eliot Engel, a leading member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, has cosponsored the MYDATA Act, a bill that would protect broadband users from unfair or deceptive practices relating to privacy or data security.

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) kicked off Infrastructure Week 2017 by announcing the Nation Building Here At Home Act, a bill introduced by Higgins to address America’s crumbling infrastructure needs while putting people to work.

Senator Charles E. Schumer, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, Council Member Joe Borelli, and Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora today announced that construction has begun on the new Joseph A. Verdino, Jr. Grandstand at the South Shore Little League in Staten Island.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, together with Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, today announced that nine individuals have been variously charged with money laundering, mortgage fraud, grand larceny, conspiracy, and other charges related to their participation in a scheme to defraud mortgage lenders that spanned two New York City boroughs and resulted in over $1 million in ill-gotten mortgage loans

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), a long time champion for investing in New York City’s infrastructure, expressed serious concerns about the proposed cuts to infrastructure investments in President Trump’s recent budget preview. On March 16, President Trump submitted to Congress his budget outline, or “skinny budget,” which proposed massive cuts to the Department of Transportation that will hamstring infrastructure projects across the country. His full budget is expected later this spring

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Elise Stefanik successfully pushed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant a limited waiver petition to allow Westelcom to continue to operate as a rural telecommunications provider. Westelcom, a leader in the deployment of fiber-based broadband in the North Country, met the FCC’s overall goals of expanding broadband deployment in rural areas but needed a waiver that would protect critical funding the company needs to continue to provide the infrastructure for expanded rural telehealth medicine.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than $520 million in energy efficient upgrades across the City University of New York system. Coinciding with Earth Week, the energy-saving measures will reduce environmental impacts and operating costs while helping CUNY reach the Governor’s statewide energy goals to build a clean energy future for all of New York State.

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) today announced the availability of up to $75,000 in grant funding for projects that help reduce the stigma often associated with mental illness

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) today announced the selection of two teams to develop 100 percent affordable housing apartments for seniors and families at NYCHA’s Betances Houses V and VI in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx

The New York State housing market’s growth trend continued through the 2017 first quarter with sales setting the high-water mark for the quarter at 25,366, according to the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The first quarter statewide median sales price of $245,000 represents an increase of 6.5 percent from the 2016 first quarter.

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney joined with New Yorkers from across the city for the No HUD Cuts rally at 26 Federal Plaza. The gathered crowd was there to protest the proposed $6.2 billion budget cut to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that would negatively impact millions across the country. After the rally, she released the following statement

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $28.8 million has been awarded to seven supportive housing projects across New York State, allowing the construction of 252 housing units for homeless New Yorkers. The funding, awarded through the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, will support projects in the Bronx, New York, Chautauqua, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego and Tompkins counties.

“We've taken a significant step towards building a permanent memorial for the historic Harlem African Burial Ground and providing affordable housing and good jobs for East Harlem residents. We're grateful for the support of Community Board 11 and neighborhood residents, and look forward to continuing our partnership with Speaker Mark-Viverito and the Harlem African Burial Ground Task Force to make this project a reality,"

Standing in Chelsea at NYCHA apartments, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer local housing advocates from the newly-formed “No Cuts Coalition” and NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye today voiced their strong opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to cut $6 billion from the budget of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which would directly hit New York City. Schumer and the advocates will launch a new push against these cuts, which include an estimated 68 percent reduction in HUD’s public housing capital fund and estimated 13 percent reduction in HUD’s public housing operating fund.

To kick off Earth week, today Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the completion of environmental remediation on the 500th tax lot under NYC oversight since his administration began in 2014, achieving 75% of his OneNYC cleanup goal 18 months ahead of schedule. Each of the remediated properties has achieved rigorous state cleanup standards.

NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer today led a tour of North Shore Plaza in Staten Island with Deputy Commissioner Vito Mustaciuolo and the graduating class of HPD Code Enforcement inspectors. They will be joined by Don Capoccia, principal of BFC Partners, which has worked with HPD to rehabilitate and preserve affordability at the four-building complex since acquiring it in 2014 in partnership with K&R Preservation.

To protect water quality this spring, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today is urging New Yorkers to practice sustainable lawn care by going phosphorus free, using native plants and grasses, and reducing fertilizer use. DEC has launched the "Look for the Zero" campaign to encourage New Yorkers to purchase phosphorus-free lawn fertilizer, as more than 100 water bodies in New York State cannot be used or enjoyed as a result of too much phosphorus.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, with 41 Senate colleagues, urged federal appropriators to include $3.3 billion in federal funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget. CDBG is a federal program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs.

Standing with Saratoga County homeowners and amidst rising local anxiety, today U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer launched a push to preserve popular, but increasingly at-risk tax deductions Saratoga homeowners and taxpayers depend upon to keep the Capital Region’s cost of living in-check. Whether new Saratoga homeowners, longtime owners, or those looking to buy right now, Schumer said locals are in tax jeopardy as newly-confirmed U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has suggested threats to mortgage, state and local property tax deductions.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $5.8 million to construct, rehabilitate and improve the homes of 338 income-eligible families across New York. The funds are awarded through New York State Homes and Community Renewal's Affordable Home Ownership Development Program, administered by the Affordable Housing Corporation. To date, the program has awarded nearly $174 million to create or improve more than 9,000 homes

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer today announced enhanced resources for housing lottery applicants. HPD launched a new informative video series on the affordable housing lottery process. The first video in the series, "Applying to a New York City Affordable Housing Lottery: Video Guide" , gives an overview of the application process.

Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo today announced that the Department of Financial Services (DFS) is encouraging property/casualty insurance companies to submit disaster preparedness courses for approval by DFS so that homeowners and renters who enroll in such courses may seek appropriate DFS-approved policy discounts from their insurance providers.

Rep. Tom Reed is supportive of making changes at the federal level that would lessen the property tax burden across upstate New York. “For too long Albany has pushed its responsibility to fund Medicaid onto local county governments. This shift is responsible for the unreasonably high property taxes in our state. It is time to fix this problem so that younger people stop fleeing our state and the elderly are not unfairly burdened with these taxes,” Reed stated.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Housing Committee Chair Steven Cymbrowitz today announced that the Assembly's budget proposal for SFY 2017-18 provides a plan for the investment of $2.5 billion in funding that was dedicated for supportive and affordable housing development in last year's enacted budget. The plan also includes a new rental assistance program for low income seniors funded by a 2.5 percent tax on multi-million dollar real estate transactions. It also expands and increases funding for the Tenant Protection Unit and increases funding for foreclosure prevention services.