Advocates charge Senate Democrats with a disregard for tenants’ rights
About a dozen activists were arrested outside government offices Downtown today, during a protest criticizing the Democratic-controlled State Senate for failing to vote on a 10-bill package of legislation that could potential [more]
Gotham Gazette looks at ways city lawmakers could turn vacant property into affordable housing. The Housing Not Warehousing coalition, a group of 30 advocacy and faith-based organizations, says the city’s legislative proposals could help fix New York’s affordable housing problems. A 2006 survey by Picture the Homeless found that 24,000 apartments could come out of Manhattan’s vacant lots and buildings — enough to house New York City’s entire homeless population. But many landlords hold onto vacant properties in the hope of gentrifying them in the future, according to Housing Not Warehousing member Mario Mazzoni. Legislative initiatives include the new Housing Asset Renewal Program, which turns vacant condos into affordable housing, and a proposed bill that would prevent landlords from holding vacant property off the market. [more]
