ProPublica: Why Big Developers Give $$$ to Politicians

Why Developers of Manhattan 
Luxury Towers Give Millions to 
Upstate Candidates
A first-of-its-kind analysis shows just how tactical the real-
estate industry is about bankrolling state legislators who will 
protect its $1.4 billion tax break and weaken rent laws.

by Cezary Podkul and Derek Kravitz, ProPublica, and 
Will Parker, The Real Deal, Dec. 30, 2016, 8 a.m.

The Fateful Vote that Made NYC Rents So High

The Fateful Vote That Made 

New York City Rents So High

A 1994 City Council vote enabling landlords 
to dodge limits on rent increases has had a 
profound impact on the lives of New Yorkers.

by Marcelo Rochabrun and Cezary Podkul
ProPublica, Dec. 15, 2016, 8 a.m.

EXCERPT:

How landlords gained the ability to remove apartments 
from regulation has a surprising backstory. Over the 
years, the Republican-dominated State Senate has often 
flexed its muscle to weaken rent stabilization at the 
behest of real-estate interests. Yet it was an overwhelmingly 
Democratic body that made the most important and 
far-reaching move. Shortly before Easter in 1994, by 
a 28-18 margin, the New York City Council implemented 
what is known as “vacancy decontrol,” which allowed a 
landlord to escape regulation and charge market rates 
once tenants moved out of apartments that cost at least $
2,000 a month. Then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani signed 
the measure into law.

Read the full article!

Rally against 421-A deal

The proposed deal between the Real Estate Board of NY (REBNY) and the construction unions guarantees higher wages for buildings constructed with proposed 421-A tax breaks.  But at what cost?  On THURSDAY, DEC. 1 at 1 PM at City Hall in Manhattan, join the Real Rent Reform Campaign, the Alliance for Tenant Power and other coalitions opposed to the $billion giveaway to developers. 

See NY Slant's article by Tom Waters

GOVERNOR CUOMO’S FLAWED 421-A PROPOSAL

BY TOM WATERS |  

NOVEMBER 29, 2016 |  

Excerpt:  

In recent years, 421-a has cost New York City more than a billion dollars a year in foregone tax revenue ($1.2 billion in 2016), while producing about $100 million a year worth of affordable housing.

Cuomo’s proposal would cost the city $2.4 billion a year in revenue, without bringing about a remotely comparable increase in affordability benefit.

This enormous new tax expenditure would be wasteful in any context, but it is especially ill advised at a time when vital federal subsidy streams to the city are in jeopardy in a Trump presidency. For comparison, the New York City Housing Authority currently receives $910 million a year in federal operating subsidies for public housing and $930 million a year for Section 8 vouchers. 

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New Albany tax give-away to developers - Nov. 11, 2016 ?

From the Association of Neighborhood and Housing Development website:

Albany Gives Our Budget Away to REBNY As the City Faces Massive Loss of Federal Support

Albany Deal Will Give Away Billions More in Extended Real Estate Tax Exemption Proposal

The big-real estate developers lobbying group, REBNY, announced a proposed new deal today to bring back the controversial 421a Developers Tax Exemption. As ANHD pointed out in a blog last week, the proposal is unconscionable on its face because it will give developers an additional 10-year exemption, on top of an already grossly excessive 25-year proposed exemption, creating a tax break that is unprecedented and unjustifiable on any fiscal or programmatic grounds – all at the expense of New York City taxpayers. 

Trump won; GOP majority in State Senate as well

Check the election results. 

New law: Those who place ads for illegal "AirBnB"-type rentals will be fined

From Michael McKee of Tenants PAC:   Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal and others to  crack down on scofflaw "sharing" companies like  Airbnb that are exacerbating our affordable housing  crisis. It is now Chapter 396 of the Laws of 2016.  People who advertise to rent apartments for less  than 30 days will now be subject to stiff fines.  This is a terrific victory and is a credit to all the  activists and groups working on this issue. Thanks  to Linda Rosenthal and State Senator Andrew  Lanza of Staten Island, as well as all the other  legislators who co-sponsored the bill. And thanks  to Governor Cuomo for doing the right thing on this one.

Support the Right to Counsel in Housing Court

On Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, the New York City Council will consider a bill that could make New York City the first city in the nation to guarantee the right to legal counsel to tenants who are up to 200% of the poverty line and facing eviction in housing court - and in doing so, take a giant step to address the crisis of homelessness in our City.    Be part of history and join the Right to Counsel Campaign on 

Monday, September 26th, at 9:30am 

at New York City Hall Steps 

for a press conference 

in support of  intro 214-A

followed by 

City Council hearings 

on this historic piece of legislation

and sign the petition to Mayor de Blasio.