Picture it: City and State lawmakers racing against the sunsetting of the 421-a law to modify and extend the program.

While it may seem like only yesterday, this scene actually played out three long years ago; and is likely to reenact itself in a few short months.

At the end of 2007, the market was still trending upwards (the fall of Lehman in October 2008 was months away) and the overall tenor of the debate was not if the program’s benefits should be limited, but by how much.  In the end, the program was extended for three years, the exclusion zone was expanded, negotiable certificates were essentially eliminated, and benefits were capped based on assessed value. (more…)

Westchester County’s desegregation plan is again found inadequate and the court appointed monitor has given the County until August 9th to remedy.  The monitor questioned the County Executive’s “tone” in terms of providing leadership on this issue.  If dissatisfied, the monitor does have the power, under the original HUD consent degree, to revise the County’s plan. (more…)

Last week, the monitor overseeing the settlement rejected the county’s affordable-housing plan, saying it was deficient on details, accountability and enforcement. Instead of specifying what the county would do to meet certain desegregation bench marks, Westchester merely restated the bench marks. The plan didn’t specify where and how the money would be spent. It had no “concrete time frame” for finding and buying properties to develop and was “unnecessarily vague on the whole.” (more…)

Map courtesy of Westchestertowns.com

Following the historic civil rights settlement between HUD and Westchester County (blogged about previously), Westchester County has submitted its implementation plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and to the federal monitor overseeing the county’s compliance with last year’s settlement of the fair and affordable housing lawsuit. (more…)

Yesterday, the City Planning Commission certified the application for the New Domino project.  The project, when approved, will permit the redevelopment of the formerly-industrial Domino Sugar factory site on the Brooklyn waterfront as a vibrant, mixed-use development.

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In the closely watched Stuyvesant Town case, New York’s highest court ruled today that buildings enrolled in the J-51 tax abatement program are not subject to the rent stabilization law’s luxury decontrol provisions.  Thousands of buildings throughout New York City are enrolled in the J-51 program, which grants property tax benefits in return for the performance of capital improvements to an existing multiple dwelling or the conversion of a non-residential building to a multiple dwelling.

The ruling upsets a decade-old assumption, supported by a 1996 advisory opinion issued by DHCR, the state agency charged with administering rent stabilization, that enrollment in the J-51 program does not preclude deregulation.  There are myriad implications of the decision — which raises as many questions as it answers.

We will be watching this closely and hope to update you soon on the fallout from this significant decision.

On September 30, 2009 the City Council adopted the 161st Street/River Avenue Rezoning. All or portions of eights blocks in three areas along the 161st Street and River Avenue were rezoned to provide opportunities for new residential, commercial, and community facility development in the civic heart of the Bronx. A new zoning district (C6-3D) was created to facilitate development along the elevated subway line on River Avenue, and to employ the Inclusionary Housing Program to encourage development of affordable housing. The 161st Street/River Avenue rezoning is located in Community District 4, and is generally bound by River Avenue on the west, East 162nd Street to the north, Park Avenue to the east, and East 159th and East 153rd streets to the south.

This rezoning will encourage residential and commercial expansion in a transit-rich, high-profile area of the Bronx.  And did I mention Yankee Stadium is across the street???

On August 19, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a historic civil rights settlement with Westchester County, New York; the County Legislature approved the settlement on September 23, 2009. The landmark agreement will result in the construction of 750 units of affordable housing in neighborhoods with small minority populations; will remove existing impediments to fair and affordable housing; and will require the County to take active steps to ensure its housing and development practices are fair to families without regard to their race or ethnicity. (more…)