Government briefs: TRD’s roundup of news from the public sector

From the January issue: In this month’s round-up of the biggest government stories affecting New York real estate, The Real Deal looks at the ground breaking of Related’s Hudson Yards Project, attended by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the Related Companies and Oxford Property Group. TRD also examines the Federal Housing Administration’s risky borrowing practices that could lead to an incredibly ironic taxpayer bailout, as well as, a city “BID Challenge,” which dolled out some $250,000 in grants to seven neighborhood Business Improvement Districts. Finally TRD reports on a city deal to give Hurricane Sandy victims priority in renting some of the 2,500 vacant privately owned New York City apartments. [more]