NEW YORK - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the arrest and arraignment of Mohammad T. Riaz, the owner of Applied Construction Inc., and two of his employees for failing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages to his workers. Hired to complete a restoration project in the Bronx financed and overseen by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Riaz and his two employees on the project are charged with scheming to avoid prevailing wage laws by underpaying workers with cash payments, failing to provide supplemental benefits to workers and directing some workers to return portions of their wages. They face felony grand larceny charges and up to 15 years in prison

NEW YORK, NY - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Real Estate Board of New York has announced the submissions for the industry’s most coveted commercial honors, the Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Awards. The awards will be presented on April 23rd at the annual cocktail party of the Sales Brokers Committee at the 101 Club. Nineteen of 2012’s most creative deals -- completed by 37 top notch real estate dealmakers -- are competing for REBNY’s first, second and third place prizes.

MINEOLA - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- At a news conference today in Nassau County, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the results of two key programs aimed at providing New Yorkers the assistance they need to keep their homes. He was joined at the event by two homeowners who received assistance from the programs. Through the Attorney General’s Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP), a $60 million initiative to support housing counselors and legal services providers working with homeowners at risk of foreclosure across the State of New York, 688 at-risk homeowners on Long Island received foreclosure counseling and legal representation in the program’s first three months

New York, NY - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will allow Community Development Block Grants Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to help housing cooperative and condominium owners impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Co-op and condominium owners are not currently eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to cover the cost of repairs to common areas and infrastructure. The move comes after Schumer requested that HUD establish program guidelines to establish eligibility requirements to help co-op and condo homeowners repair damage incurred by Sandy. The funds can be used to repair the common areas in the building, such as lobbies, boilers and elevators.

NEW YORK, NY - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Low-income renters of New York and New Jersey are in greatest need of Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA), according to two new reports released today by Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise), the nation’s leading provider of affordable housing and community development capital and expertise, and New York University’s Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy. The reports indicate that with low-income households disproportionately impacted by the storm and in need of FEMA assistance, the ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts must allocate resources to meet the needs of people who have limited resources to rebuild their lives

Hauppauge, NY - March 6, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- County Executive Steven Bellone today released a progress update on county housing initiatives that he credits with providing a diverse mix of affordable rentals for veterans, seniors, and young families, creating homeownership opportunities for hundreds of first time homebuyers, and contributing to neighborhood stabilization and the renaissance of Suffolk County’s historic downtown

New York, NY - March 5, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel, and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua were joined today by New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns, Phipps Houses Group President & CEO Adam Weinstein, Related Companies President Bruce A. Beal, Jr., and Monadnock Construction President Nick Lembo to break ground on the first two residential buildings of the Hunter’s Point South development on the Queens waterfront. When complete the multiphase Hunter’s Point South project will be largest new affordable housing complex to be built in New York City since the 1970s

New York, NY - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin working with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation on short-term protective measures along the the East and South Shores of Staten Island. In February, Schumer called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to formally assign the Army Corps to prioritize storm protection beaches along Staten Island’s shoreline after they were devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

NEW YORK, NY - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the resolution of an investigation into the labor practices of public-works contractor Procida Construction Corp. based on its own underpayments and underpayments by a subcontractorof dozens of workers during the construction of two affordable housing projects for seniors in Brooklyn. The Attorney General’s agreement requires Procida to pay back wages totaling $830,000 based on violations by the corporation’s subcontractor, which paid below the mandated prevailing wage rate at the Riverway project in Brownsville.

New York, NY - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $6.4 million in funding to help farmers reduce energy costs, protect the environment, and remain economically viable. This new funding expands a successful program launched in 2011, which has already assisted 170 farms in securing annual energy savings of $850,000 and reducing power usage by 6,800 megawatt hours

STATEN ISLAND, NY - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Rep. Michael G. Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) joined Staten Island homeowners impacted by Superstorm Sandy in calling on federal home mortgage entities to help them keep their homes and avoid default. Homeowners impacted by Superstorm Sandy were permitted to defer mortgage payments for 90-days, which was then extended to 180-days. Deferred payments must be paid back in one lump sum. Rep. Grimm sent a letter to mortgage entities yesterday asking that the lump sum be spread out over the life of the mortgage to ease the financial burden on homeowners

Albany, NY - March 4, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that an expedited effort to restore beaches damaged by Superstorm Sandy and protect properties from future storms will begin with issuing bids in March for restoration work that is expected to commence in April on Staten Island. The restoration work will extend to other coastal areas in metro New York City region and Long Island.

NEW YORK, NY - March 1, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $2 billion in direct assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy. This includes

NEW YORK, N.Y. - February 27, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- City Comptroller John C. Liu today announced that four of the five New York City pension funds have voted to invest $500 million in residential and commercial real estate, focused in areas affected by Superstorm Sandy.

New York, NY - February 25, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced today that the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation was awarded $1.4 million to support two energy efficiency projects that are projected to cut electricity costs by roughly $680,000 annually

Bronx, NY - February 22, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairman John B. Rhea, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua, New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner David Burney today joined Blue Sea Development principal Les Bluestone and partner, Avery Seavey, to celebrate the opening of Arbor House.

Albany, NY - February 21, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- The recovery of the New York State housing market continued into 2013 as January sales of existing single-family homes, condos and co-ops were 9.5 percent ahead of January 2012, according to the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The statewide median sales price grew by 5 percent compared to a year ago and available inventory continued to decrease

Brooklyn, N.Y. - February 20, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua today announced that the agency has instituted a 25 percent preference for units in City-subsidized affordable housing developments for income-eligible New Yorkers displaced from their homes by Hurricane Sandy. One of the first developments to be subject to the preference is Coney Island Commons, a new affordable housing development now being marketed in Coney Island, Brooklyn. All units are subject to a lottery managed by the developer and overseen by HPD and the City’s Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

Washington, D.C. - February 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, Rep. Joe Crowley (NY-14) sent a letter to Wayne LaPierre, CEO and Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA), inviting him to come to New York City and reconsider his misconceptions about New Yorkers. LaPierre recently published an opinion piece in the Daily Caller describing New York City after Hurricane Sandy as a “hellish world” of lawlessness, using it to argue against reasonable gun policies

New York, NY - February 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, in partnership with New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Senator Charles Fuschillo, announced today that representatives of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) will be in Nassau County to help homeowners, renters and business owners with insurance-related issues stemming from damage caused by Storm Sandy. Project Hope Crisis Counselors,

NEW YORK, NY - February 18, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Survivors with home accessibility needs because of Hurricane Sandy, especially older adults and people with disabilities, are encouraged to stay in touch with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA may be able to assist if elevators or electricity are not working properly, even if the structure did not sustain damage

Albany, NY - February 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $20 million to support clean-energy projects that will provide continuous power and heat during power outages. These projects are in support of recommendations made by Governor Cuomo’s NYS 2100 Commission in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. These combined heat and power (CHP) projects provide manufacturers, apartment buildings, hospitals, universities and other large buildings the ability to produce a portion of their own heat and electricity.

WASHINGTON, DC - February 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today in response to a question posed by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) at a hearing of the Financial Services Committee, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Carol Galante announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will streamline the approval of FHA loan applications of multifamily apartment owners in New York and New Jersey.

New York, NY - February 14, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- This Valentine’s Day, tenants and workers of The Moinian Group remain heartbroken that the developer insists on driving industry standards down by cutting corners on building repairs, construction site safety, as well as workers’wages and benefits.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 13, 2013 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish a framework for how assistance programs can be structured with Community Development Block Grants Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to help housing cooperative and condominium owners impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Co-op and condominium owners are not currently eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to cover the cost of repairs to common areas and infrastructure. Schumer today is asking HUD to establish program guidelines for eligible recipients using CDBG funds to help co-op and condo homeowners repair damage incurred by Sandy