RoAnn M. Destito, New York State Office of General Services Commissioner today announced bidding for four construction contracts listed below by county.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York today issued its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, which reported that total household debt increased substantially by $226 billion (a 1.8% increase) to $12.58 trillion during the fourth quarter of 2016. This marked the largest quarterly increase in total household debt since the fourth quarter of 2013, and debt today is now just 0.8% below its peak of $12.68 trillion reached in the third quarter of 2008. Every type of debt increased since the previous quarter, with a 1.6% increase in mortgage debt, 1.9% increase in auto loan balances, a 4.3% increase in credit card balances, and a 2.4% percent increase in student loan balances.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer and New York City Housing Development Corporation President Eric Enderlin today announced the opening of the Housing Connect lottery for 227 affordable apartments at Park House, located at 4275 Park Avenue in the Bathgate/East Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx

Senators Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester), Tony Avella (D-Queens), Jesse Hamilton (D-Brooklyn), Marisol Alcantara (D-Manhattan), Diane Savino (D-SI/Brooklyn), and Assembly Members Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn), Kenneth Zebrowski (D-New City), Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn), Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern), David Buchwald (D-Mount Kisco) and Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn) joined Foreclosure Prevention Network organizations to release a report detailing the lingering issue of foreclosures in New York State as they called for a critically needed $30 million for foreclosure prevention legal services

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee’s Millennial Task Force, released a report of her committee’s findings during the 114th Congress titled, “Millennials & the GOP: Rebuilding Trust with an Untapped Electorate.”

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $14.4 million has been awarded to three housing projects in the Bronx. In addition to federal funding, these awards will help create 319 units, including 142 supportive housing units for homeless families and individuals, including senior citizens, women and their children.

Dawn M. Carpenter, CPM of Staten Island, NY took the oath of office Monday, February 6, as the 2017 president 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.

The New York State Council on the Arts will be holding a Council Meeting February 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the NYSCA offices, 300 Park South, 10th Fl, New York, NY. The purpose of the meeting will be for the Council to vote on FY17 appeals, to review nominations for Panelists to evaluate FY18 grant applications, and to review grantees who have been awarded multi-year support and are scheduled to receive funding in FY18

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that CARL IMMICH, formerly the property manager of Harriet Tubman Terrace Apartments, a Section 8 Housing Complex in Poughkeepsie, New York, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. United States District Judge Cathy Seibel imposed today’s sentence

Alexander And Sima March Avoided Prosecution For 5 Years By Fleeing To Canada; Plead Guilty To Residential Mortgage Fraud Scheme; Alexander March Ordered To...

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer, New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin, and New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca today joined Foxy Management, Hebrew Home at Riverdale, Alembic Community Development, and other project partners to celebrate the start of construction of 168 units of affordable senior housing at 1880 Boston Road in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx.

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced as part of his upcoming State of the City address two major initiatives to help seniors, veterans and other low-income families afford rent in New York City. The first will increase by 10,000 the number of apartments in Housing New York serving households earning less than $40,000—5,000 of which will be dedicated to seniors and 500 for veterans.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today the convictions of Alexander March on two indictments for his role in a residential mortgage fraud scheme and a conspiracy to tamper with witnesses who had testified against him. Today, in Onondaga County Court, before the Honorable Thomas J. Miller, Alexander March pleaded guilty to 16 felonies and 17 misdemeanors to satisfy both indictments and was ordered to pay $127,123.49 in restitution.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a $15 million proposal to accelerate the use of renewable heating and cooling technologies in New York to stimulate the clean energy economy. The new policy framework released by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority includes a proposed two-year, $15-million program to provide rebates for the installation of ground-source heat pumps. This plan will support the state’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York 40 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal joined Selfhelp Community Services, Broadway Mosholu LLC, Enterprise Community Partners, local leaders and project partners to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the $26.4 million Van Cortlandt Green, an affordable housing development for low and middle-income seniors in the Riverdale community of the Bronx.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a more than $3 million expansion of Confer Plastics, a molded plastics product company located in North Tonawanda, Niagara County. The investment allows the firm to create 35 new jobs and significantly expand production in Western New York

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced nearly $4.4 million in funds to construct, rehabilitate and improve the homes of 170 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. More than 8,800 homes under this administration have been created or made safer and more affordable with approximately $170 million in Affordable Housing Corporation awards

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York Power Authority Board of Trustees has approved allocations of low-cost hydropower to manufacturers in Niagara County and St. Lawrence County. Together, the power allocations will support $5.2 million in capital investments and create 41 jobs

Rising 10-percent above last year’s housing market, closed sales of residential properties set a new high-water mark of 130,486 in New York State during 2016, according to the annual housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The statewide median sales price also grew by 2.2 percent in 2016 to reach $235,000.

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Vicki Been announces the start of the 2017 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS). The survey is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau at the request of the City of New York about every three years. The survey is required by State and City rent-regulation laws to determine New York City’s overall vacancy rate for rental housing.

The New York Power Authority’s Board of Trustees and the Canal Corporation’s Board of Directors will hold a joint meeting, via video conference, on Tuesday, January 31, at NYPA’s White Plains administrative office building,123 Main Street, in the 16th floor board room. The meeting will start at approximately 10 a.m., immediately following NYPA’s Board of Trustees and NYS Canal Corporation Board of Directors’ joint meeting at approximately 8:45 a.m.

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney announced that the Trump Administration plans to include Phases 2 and 3 of the Second Avenue Subway in its list of infrastructure building priorities. An unconfirmed leaked copy of the list estimates that $14.2 billion could be allocated for the project. Maloney spoke directly with the Trump team earlier this week, and was repeatedly assured by individuals who worked on creating the list that Phase 2 and Phase 3 are part of the plan. When completed, Phase 2 will run from 96th Street and 2nd Avenue up to 125th Street, and Phase 3 will go from 62nd Street down to Houston Street. Congresswoman Maloney, a long time champion of the Second Avenue Subway, has been pressing Congress and the Trump Administration to include the next phases of the Second Avenue Subway in any infrastructure priority lists being developed

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) released the following statement today after President Trump signed a new executive order. “It’s unconscionable that President Trump would close the door to the desperate children, families, and elderly who have been forced to flee their homes and countries because of unspeakable acts of violence and war.

“We, as a city, are defined by how we treat our kids. We aren’t living in a fair city when my kids come home to a safe household every night while thousands of others, in the greatest city on the planet, are living in some of the most deplorable, dangerous conditions imaginable.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and Housing Development Corporation (HDC) today announced plans to transform an underutilized New York Police Department (NYPD) parking garage in Jamaica, Queens into an approximately 450,000 square foot mixed-use development that will include over 350 units of 100% affordable housing, recreational and commercial/retail space, which will generate hundreds of good-paying construction and permanent jobs.