Public Housing Time Limits | Co-op Discrimination Bill

HYCHA’s Smith Houses (Photo: New York Daily News)

1. Obama’s Budget Allows for Time Restrictions and Work Requirements for Some Public Housing Agencies. “Deep in the president’s new budget is a plan that could transform public housing in the nation by allowing housing authorities to increasingly set time limits or work requirements for participants.Currently, government housing benefits are generally open ended. Unlike welfare-which has a five-year limit-federal housing programs allow low-income Americans to receive rent vouchers or live in government complexes for decades.” [Wall Street Journal – 05/06/13]
2. State Sen. Sampson’s Embezzlement Case Highlights Flaw in Oversight of Foreclosed Property Sales. “The case of a Brooklyn state senator charged this week with embezzling $440,000 in escrow funds has exposed a stunning flaw in how sales of foreclosed properties are handled.Lawyers appointed by judges to oversee foreclosure cases are handling millions of dollars, with no oversight.” [New York Daily News – 05/08/13]
3. New Study: A State’s High Homeownership May Be A Precursor for Rises in Unemployment. “But, in recent years, a growing chorus of economists have argued that America may have gone overboard in its pursuit of homeownership. They suggest that high rates of homeownership distort the economy, tying people to places and restricting the ability of workers to move to jobs.” [City Lab – 05/09/13]
4. New York To Sue Bank of America, Wells Fargo for Violating National Mortgage Settlement. “In February 2012, federal officials and attorneys general from 49 states announced a $25 billion settlement with five of the nation’s largest banks over robo-signing and other wrongful foreclosure practices. As part of the agreement, the banks agreed to reform their business practices related to loan servicing and foreclosures. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleged Monday that Bank of America and Wells Fargo have repeatedly violated this agreement, claiming to have documented 339 cases involving various homeowners. ” [CNN Money – 05/06/13]
5. Exploring the Implications of NYCHA’s Plans for Private Mixed-Use Developments. “From Baltimore to Los Angeles, Chicago to New Orleans, public housing authorities have demolished low-income housing projects and replaced them with privately built mixed-income developments, often based on New Urbanism’s principles of low-rise, high density neighborhoods arranged along traditional streets and parks.” [City Lab – 05/09/13]
6. New Bill Seeks to Curb Discrimination by Co-op Boards. “Real estate agents in New York City have long complained that co-op boards mistreat potential buyers they do not like. The boards sit on applications and never make a decision. If they turn down an applicant, they never explain why. And sometimes, the agents suspect, rejections are based on an applicant’s race or national origin.” [New York TImes – 05/09/13]
7. Home Prices Jump But Affordability Remains in Buyer’s Favor. “Home prices in 150 U.S. cities saw their biggest year-over-year gains in over seven years in the first quarter of 2013, but affordability still remains high in most markets, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.” [Wall Street Journal – 05/09/13]
8. Gov. Cuomo Announces $91 Million for Affordable Housing in New York State. “The state will provide more than $91 million in funding for the construction of several affordable housing units in New York, including one project in Cayuga County. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the awards Tuesday. According to the governor’s office, the funding will leverage $485 million in other funds - grants, loans and private funding - and will be used to build 2,060 affordable housing units..” [The Auburn Citizen – 05/07/13]
9. NYCHA Tenants File Lawsuit Against City Housing Authority. “Residents of the Smith Houses on the lower East Side have filed suit against the city Housing Authority, arguing the agency refuses to make repairs, forcing them to endure dangerous conditions like crumbling ceilings and toxic mold.In the suit, more than 300 tenants allege that NYCHA officials have told them repair funds will only be made available to fix problems in their apartments if they support the agency’s plan to lease land in the complex to developers.” [New York Daily News – 05/09/13]