When New York state’s 421-a tax break program came crashing down early last year amid a standoff between developers and construction unions over wages, there were mixed feelings among many housing advocates. On the one hand, 421-a had been a … Continue reading
The city’s venerable 421-a tax break for housing development, which expired last January and which Governor Cuomo now wants to renew and expand, has long come under fire from housing advocates as an insanely inefficient way to spur new residential … Continue reading
When Governor Cuomo called in to NY1 on the afternoon after Election Day to recount the “good conversation” he had had with our surprise president-elect, he made clear that he felt the downside of a Trump administration (as he put … Continue reading
Of the many, many strong feelings people have about the looming Trump administration, few are related to potential infrastructure policy. In fact, the president-elect’s position on the matter—as he inimitably declared in his acceptance speech, “We’re going to rebuild our … Continue reading
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for giving “voice to the voiceless” on international social justice issues, wrote an op-ed in yesterday’s Times (10/30/16) arguing for increased government action on poverty. His … Continue reading
When the construction firm AECOM proposed a sea of new apartment towers for Red Hook last month — and an extension of the 1 train under the East River to better connect the subway-inaccessible neighborhood to transit — it raised … Continue reading
When the incoming kindergarten class arrived on September 8 at Brooklyn New School, long one of the most sought-after public elementary schools in rapidly gentrifying brownstone Brooklyn, it marked a significant change from recent years. About half of incoming students … Continue reading
After a rush of activity culminating in last spring’s approval of the sweeping Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability reforms to the city’s zoning code, the approval of the rezoning of East New York, and the withdrawal … Continue reading
Complaining about the subways is the God-given right of New Yorkers, especially when fares are on the rise or service is on the decline, which seems to be always.Offering ways to fix the subways, though, is generally reserved for pundits … Continue reading
For the one million New York City tenants living in rent-stabilized apartments, it’s a familiar dance: Your landlord offers to fix your splintering floor or crumbling kitchen cabinets, if you’ll agree to a rent hike. Landlords can use a panoply … Continue reading