De Blasio’s Housing Vision | Election Day in Housing Court | Picturing Reduced Homelessness

Percent Change in NYC Residential Property Values from 2008 to 2012

1. In Housing Court, a different view of New York City’s mayoral race. A chilling wind pinching his face, Compton Bremner takes his place among hundreds of men and women who clutch dispossess notices and rent receipts. This is Brooklyn’s Housing Court, and the line he stands in snakes out the door and down Livingston Street. There are nurses’ aides and child care workers, students and waitresses and delivery men. [NY Times – 11/05/13]
2. On day one, the new mayor should invest in affordable housing. New Yorkers have consistently raised affordable housing as a top priority for the next mayor. The rental vacancy rate hovers around 3% but is even less for lower-priced units. Half of renters are paying more than 30% of their income in rent-a barometer for affordability-while low-income New Yorkers can expect to pay 50% toward rent. And New York’s population continues to grow, which makes the issue of affordable housing as important today as it was 40 years ago. [Crain’s New York Business – 11/03/13]
3. Homeownership reconsidered. Homeownership is a big part of the American self-image. That accounts for the unusual support the U.S. government provides for it. This includes subsidies of about $150 billion a year in tax deductions on mortgage interest and property taxes. Additionally, the U.S. employs huge programs to keep interest rates low by reducing the risks taken on by mortgage lenders. Many countries have higher rates of homeownership; few underwrite it to the same extent. [Bloomberg – 11/05/13]
4. A fascinating geography of New York’s ‘two cities.’ New York mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio became the unexpected front-runner a couple of months back by articulating a “tale of two cities” critique of the boom-boom Bloomberg era. That vision appears to have resonated with New Yorkers who are worried that Gotham is turning into a playground for billionaires at the expense of everybody else. [The Atlantic Cities – 11/05/13]
5. De Blasio pins affordable housing hopes on mandatory inclusionary zoning.  Democratic mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio has ambitious plans to reshape the inequalities in the real estate market by mandating developers build affordable housing. His plan to ensure that New York is no longer a “tale of two cities” is seeded in his affordable housing proposal known as mandatory inclusionary zoning. The policy would require developers to set aside a certain percentage of a building’s units as permanent affordable apartments in exchange for increased building heights and tax breaks. But an optional version of the policy, instituted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, has had a checkered history in New York City. Instead of stimulating the creation of more affordable housing, many developers have chosen to opt out - leaving policy experts skeptical of how a mandatory plan might work. [Gotham Gazette – 11/03/13]
6. NYC loses disability lawsuit over Sandy Evacuation. A federal judge has ruled in favor of advocates who argued that New York City is not adequately prepared to evacuate disabled residents during emergencies, a problem that came to the forefront during Sandy and Irene. [WNYC – 11/07/13]
7. Giving Old Loew’s Theater in Brooklyn a second chance. The King’s Theater is big. It’s the borough that god small. Built in a more opulent time for a more populous Brooklyn, the Loew’s Kings at 1025 Flatbush Avenue has spent more than three decades in New York City’s hands. The struggling old movie palace, which once accommodated 3,600 theatergoers, closed not long after the 1977 blackout. The property was seized for nonpayment of taxes. [NY Times – 11/07/13]
8. Why your rent is rising faster than inflation. As renters, we vaguely internalize the rise and fall of the broader market when confronted with that annual lease renewal notice. I at least factor in some not-particularly-accurate idea of inflation. And then we translate that general sense of what’s going on with the housing market into a specific determination of what is, for us, ‘fair.’ This relationship between rising rent, inflation and relative ‘fairness’ came to mind when the Census Bureau released updated data today on housing vacancy and homeownership rates. [The Atlantic Cities – 11/05/13]
9. City certifies Domino Sugar plan. An application for the redevelopment of the hulking Domino Sugar refinery on the Williamsburg waterfront was certified by the City Planning Commission on Monday afternoon. The approval clears the way for the ambitious plan by developer Jed Walentas and his company Two Trees Management to begin the city’s labyrinthine public review process. The developer hopes to break ground on the 11-acre, mixed-use project as soon as the end of next year. [Crain’s New York Business – 11/04/13]
10. Picturing an end to New York City’s homelessness crisis.  As New York prepares for the departure of its three-term billionaire mayor, with self-described progressive Bill deBlasio as his likely successor, a spotlight shines on the thousands of New Yorkers who, like Jackman, are suffering from the city’s housing crisis. Homelessness skyrocketed under Bloomberg’s tenure, and deBlasio has made affordable housing for all New Yorkers one of his campaign promises. For advocates and organizers, then, the mayoral election has been an opportunity to reassert the importance of finding a long-term solution for the city’s homeless population. One such organization, Picture the Homeless (PTH), is led by homeless New Yorkers who seek to amplify homeless people’s voices in a political landscape where those who are suffering are often left out of the conversation.” [In These Times – 11/07/13]