New York RealEstateRama

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, along with NYS Senator Michael Gianaris, NYS Assembly Member Aravella Simotas, and NYC Council Member Costa Constantinides, were joined by local residents at a press conference to cheer Amtrak’s decision to halt any further actions or negotiations regarding properties many homeowners in Astoria have leased for decades.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a lawsuit against Marolda Properties, Inc., a Manhattan property management company that manages rent-regulated apartment buildings and the landlords who own the buildings. The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and Governor Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced $20 million in new funding, to be administered by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise), for New York State land banks that are working to protect homeowners and neighborhoods across the state by acquiring blighted homes and transforming them into community assets.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today filed a lawsuit against Marolda Properties, Inc., (“Marolda Properties”), a Manhattan property management company that manages rent-regulated apartment buildings in the New York City metropolitan area including in Chinatown and the Lower East Side, and affiliated landlords that own the buildings. The lawsuit is the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General’s Office and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit.

Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-19) submitted a letter to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (UT-3) requesting the committee investigate the response by New York State and federal officials to the contamination of drinking water in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh.

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the release of $325,060,769 in heating and home energy assistance funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (IG) to prioritize and provide a timeline for completing an investigation into mismanagement, failures in oversight, and potential fraud in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) immediately after the storm. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, thousands of New York homeowners were underpaid on their flood claims, potentially as the result of a fraudulent scheme to intentionally underpay policyholders by altering engineering reports

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the release of $325,060,769 in heating and home energy assistance funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months.

Mayor Bill de Blasio today held public hearings for, and signed, ten pieces of legislation into law, including a package of three green buildings bills – Intros. 1163-A, 1160 and 1165, in relation to energy and water benchmarking, lighting retrofitting and sub-metering requirements for mid-size buildings.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Vicki Been and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Eric Enderlin today announced the opening of the Housing Connect lottery for 102 affordable apartments at Five Blue Slip in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This 100 percent affordable development was financed through the City’s Extremely Low & Low Income Affordability (ELLA) Program and Inclusionary Housing programs.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today announced plans to transform the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx into a 5-acre campus featuring 100% affordable housing, good jobs, and recreational space

The Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (“FHLBNY”) today released its unaudited financial highlights for the quarter ended September 30, 2016. “Our members continue to rely on the dependable funding we provide, as reflected in the steady growth of our advances levels through the first nine months of the year,” said José R. González, president and CEO of the FHLBNY.

New York’s Department of Public Services staff delivered recommendations to state regulators as part of the state’s Value of Distributed Energy Resources initiative. The report marks the first major milestone in Reforming the Energy Vision process, and depicts a promising opportunity for solar to deliver job growth, healthy communities and grid resiliency to the Empire State.

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced the grand opening of the $24.8 million Liberty Landing apartments in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County. The 59-unit supportive housing project, operated by Concern for Independent Living, offers residential based support services to formerly homeless veterans, in addition to affordable housing for low income Long Island families.

City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today released a wide-ranging investigation that found dangerous shortcomings in how child care services are provided to children age zero to three in City shelters, including a failure to ensure that child care workers undergo criminal background checks or enforce basic health and safety standards.  In short, the report found that child care services at City shelters are not subject to the same health and safety regulations that govern child care facilities outside of shelters.

The Empire State’s housing market has posted an 11-percent jump in home sales though the first nine months of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, according to the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The year-to-date statewide median sales price grew 3 percent compared to last year.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has partnered with Albany County to complete comprehensive energy-saving improvements at the County Office Building and Family Court. The project will save about $88,000 in annual energy costs and remove roughly 540 tons of greenhouse gases annually

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods and Citi Community Development today announced plans to establish a groundbreaking city-wide community land trust (CLT) to advance affordable homeownership across the five boroughs of New York City. The CLT, which uses a non-profit approach to supporting community-controlled ownership of land, would create new affordable homeownership opportunities for middle- and working-class families over the long-term and shield homeowners from practices that can lead to foreclosure and displacement.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Vicki Been today announced the opening of The Residences at PS 186, a 79-apartment mixed-use affordable housing project that is also home to a more than 11,000-square-foot state-of-the-art clubhouse for the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem (BGCH). The homes will be affordable to individuals earning as little as $24,000, and families with incomes of $31,000 a year.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced nearly $21.6 million has been awarded for eight supportive housing projects that will create a total of 265 units for homeless New Yorkers. The awards, made through the New York State's Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, will fund supportive housing projects in Suffolk and Oneida counties for homeless veterans and their families, as well as ones in New York City, Erie, Nassau and Oneida Counties for homeless individuals and families. All eight projects are part of Governor Cuomo's historic $10 billion commitment to building affordable housing and combating homelessness.

Mayors of the Cities of Buffalo (Byron W. Brown), Niagara Falls (Paul Dyster), Lockport (Anne McCaffrey) and Tonawanda (Rick Davis) are pleased to announce an effective end to Veteran homelessness in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s call to action through the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness in Western New York (WNY).

We are writing to express serious concerns about the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)’s staff level approval of renovations at 69 Gansevoort Street, a contributing building in the Gansevoort Market Historic District, which is the site of the former Restaurant Florent. 69 Gansevoort Street is situated in the 27th State Senate district, which we represent

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that, following his push, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) have agreed to a plan that would unlock significant funding – currently frozen due to a more than 10-year tug-of-war between the two agencies