U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez and Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced over $4.8 million in federal FEMA funding for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) for repairs to electrical substation G in Building #386 and Dry Dock No. 1/Caisson Gate and Pump Well No. 124 at the Brooklyn Navy Industrial Park damaged as a direct result Superstorm Sandy. The funding was allocated by the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through two grants, $3,122,543.70 for the electrical substation repairs and $1,764,921.60 for dock renovations.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 900 solar projects are underway through 26 community “Solarize” campaigns across New York State. A component of the NY-Sun program and the Governor’s comprehensive Reforming the Energy Vision strategy, the “Solarize” campaigns are geared towards locally-organized community outreach efforts aimed at getting more homes and businesses to install solar. The Governor also announced another 31 Solarize campaigns are set to begin this spring.

The New York Department of State will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 11:30 a.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.

The New York Power Authority has begun a lighting upgrade project at the New York State Museum in Albany that is expected to save more than $160,000 in annual energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 900 tons a year, the equivalent of taking 190 cars off the road.

A non-profit provider of supportive housing for the City’s Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) overbilled the agency by $1 million according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. DOHMH’s weak oversight of the Center for Urban and Community Services (CUCS) made the overpayments possible and raises concerns about potential overpayments to other vendors

With a housing affordability crisis that includes thousands of New Yorkers sleeping in shelters, an audit released by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer revealed that New York City owns over 1,100 vacant properties that could be used to site thousands of units of affordable housing.

With a housing affordability crisis that includes thousands of New Yorkers sleeping in shelters, an audit released by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer revealed that New York City owns over 1,100 vacant properties that could be used to site thousands of units of affordable housing.

Building service workers union 32BJ SEIU said today that 24 contracted cleaners at WeWork who fought to improve their jobs last year returned to the co-working start-up’s offices in New York this week for their first days of work with a new contractor.

“The New York State Association of REALTORS (NYSAR) and its 50,000 REALTORS applaud Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for his newly launched Fair Housing Enforcement Program. New York State’s REALTORS vigorously support the ideal that no one should be discriminated against based on race, color, national origin, disability or familial status as well as the additional protected classes under New York State Law including sexual orientation, military status, age or being a victim of domestic violence.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today congratulated the first 19 Fort Drum military personnel to complete the Solar Ready Vets training program, which prepares them for careers in the growing solar industry after their transition from military service. The Solar Ready Vets program at Fort Drum is the first graduating cohort supported by the U.S. Department of Energy in New York and one of five active programs in the nation

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced that his office has obtained a judgment against home improvement contractors who repeatedly and persistently ripped of customers in the Southern Tier and Central New York by going door-to-door seeking to pave or repair driveways and perform roof repairs, and quoting prices that were significantly inflated after the customers agreed to the work.

The New York Department of State today announced four Local Government Citizens Reorganization Empowerment Grant (CREG) awards to implement dissolutions as part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s plans to make New York State more affordable and provide much needed relief to taxpayers. Grants were awarded to the Village of Herrings in Jefferson County to develop a Dissolution Plan, to the Town of Trenton in Oneida County to implement the dissolution of the Village of Prospect, and to the Town and Village of Hermon in St. Lawrence County to implement dissolution of the Village of Hermon.

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) today announced that it is requiring New York City to take a series of actions to ensure the safety of residents in the New York City shelter system. These requirements follow the stabbings of a mother and her three daughters earlier today at an emergency shelter under New York City’s jurisdiction.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Vicki Been and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Gary Rodney announce new updates to the City’s electronic housing lottery application website, NYC Housing Connect. Applicants now have the ability to access the Housing Connect system and each housing lottery in seven languages, including English. This update is the most recent change made by the de Blasio Administration to promote equal access to information for all New Yorkers.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, on behalf of the states of New York, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, the District of Columbia, the cities of New York, Boulder, Chicago, Philadelphia, South Miami and Broward County, Florida, issued the following statement in response to the decision by the United States Supreme Court to temporarily stay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan

Huntley Generating Station Plant Has Been An Economic Anchor in Tonawanda For Years, But Decreased Demand & Increased Coal Costs Have Slashed The Plant’s Output – The Town Has Lost Nearly 50% Of The Plant’s Tax Revenue, Forcing Tonawanda To Consider Cuts to Services & Threatening Further School Closings in Ken-Ton School District; NRG Recently Submitted a Plan to Fully Retire the Plant as of March 2016

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced UrbanTech NYC, a comprehensive program to help entrepreneurs and innovators address New York City’s most pressing urban challenges in sectors such as energy, waste, transportation, agriculture and water. In partnership with New Lab and Grand Central Tech, NYCEDC has committed up to $7.2 million to create two Urban Technology Growth Hubs in Brooklyn and Manhattan, which will open in the summer of 2016.

Dawn M. Carpenter, CPM of Staten Island, NY took the oath of office Monday, February 8, as the 2016 president-elect of the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR). The association’s inauguration ceremony was held in conjunction with its business meetings at The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY. She will serve a one-year term in the post.

Christine “CJ” DelVecchio, CBR, GRI of Ithaca took the oath of office Monday, February 8, as the 2016 secretary/treasurer of the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR). The association’s inauguration ceremony was held in conjunction with its business meetings at The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY. She will serve a one-year term in the post.

Lawrence Lentini, GREEN, GRI, of Amherst took the oath of office Monday, Feb. 8, as the 2016 Western Region vice president of the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) during the association’s inauguration ceremony held in conjunction with its business meetings at The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY.

On Wednesday, following news of a tragic stabbing of a mother and three children being sheltered at a Ramada Inn on Staten Island, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer called on the Administration to conduct an immediate and thorough review of the safety and conditions of every commercial hotel being used to house homeless families throughout all five boroughs

Household debt increased moderately and repayment rates improved during the last three months of 2015, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. The $51 billion increase put total household indebtedness at $12.12 trillion as of the end of last year. Additionally, only 5.4 percent of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency, the lowest rate since the second quarter of 2007.

On Wednesday, following news of a tragic stabbing of a mother and three children being sheltered at a Ramada Inn on Staten Island, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer called on the Administration to conduct an immediate and thorough review of the safety and conditions of every commercial hotel being used to house homeless families throughout all five boroughs.

Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) today reacted to President Barack Obama’s final budget request of his administration with praise for support of several priorities rarely in the national discussion – but also with disappointment and urgency for Obama to press Congress for higher, more ambitious and realistic funding levels for our nation’s failing water infrastructure.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the largest state-supported solar project for healthcare organizations in New York. The project will provide two significant health services providers in Albany – St. Peter's Health Partners and the Center for Disability Services – with clean power and will save each facility $50,000 annually. The funding will help support the Governor’s Clean Energy Standard to meet 50 percent of our electricity needs with renewable resources by 2030 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions