Housing reform lobbying intensifies in Albany
March 23, 2009 11:00AM
The New York City real estate industry was rocked earlier this month by
a court order that could require the owners of Stuyvesant Town to give
back $200 million in rent to tenants. Now, a package of 10 housing
bills addressing everything from rent regulation to landlord harassment
is being considered in Albany. Michael McKee from the Tenants Political
Action Committee said that with the Democrats in control of the state
legislature, advocates are hopeful that they'll see "significant
change" on housing issues. But he added: "We are not taking anything
for granted, we know we have a lot of work to do ... and we are going
to die trying if that's what it takes." The president of REBNY, Steve
Spinola, said he is "optimistic" that lawmakers will "recognize that
this would hurt housing and hurt the constituents that they represent."
On this week's Webcast, The Real Deal's Jen Benepe talks to
both Spinola and McKee about their opposing views. Click on the link to the right to watch the full
Webcast, and see below for a summary of the bills.
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Comments
Anonymous
this guy from REBNY is so smug.
Comment #1 Posted By: Anonymous 03/23/09
Anonymous
Ok, so no teachers, social workers, artists, firefighters, etc. should get to live in Manhattan, they can only live in the outer boroughs? Only Wall Street scum can live in Manhattan? Great idea! They all eat each other alive because they'll compete each other to death.
Comment #2 Posted By: Anonymous 03/23/09
Anonymous
Yeah, Spinola acts like he's not worried cause he knows that REBNY has the means to pay off the politicians as usual. Well, everybody is watching this time. And we're not gonna take it anymore.
Comment #3 Posted By: Anonymous 03/23/09
Anonymous
#2 - should teachers get to live in Beverly Hills? Or just rich movie types? Shouldn't all goods go to the highest bidder? Isn't capitalism the best way to bring up the masses? Does any country do it better than our capitalist society. I just don't get your point.
Comment #4 Posted By: Anonymous 03/23/09
Anonymous
#4 - nice :)
Comment #5 Posted By: Anonymous 03/23/09
Anonymous
If the rent is $1000 per month and it is stabilized, it is still going to the person with the higher income because it is a lower risk to the owner. This isn't going to make anything easier for middle income people, just save the well to do or more well to do some money
Comment #6 Posted By: Anonymous 03/23/09
Anonymous
OK HERE's HOW IT REALLY WORKS: The following, from a Real Deal article, is Gluck's open admission that he is taking lots of government money (welfare) and looking to get rid of tenants: ......Kathleen Cudahy, a spokesperson for developer Laurence Gluck of Stellar Management, concurs that the properties [Mitchell Lama] are a good investment for landlords. Stellar Management is one of the city's most active players in the Mitchell-Lama private-refinancing realm. The company has taken, or is in the process of taking, 16 properties out of Mitchell-Lama over the past few years. "Many of the tenants in Mitchell-Lama buildings are eligible for benefits like Section 8," said Cudahy. "So if you're a landlord, the federal government will pay you every month. Who would you rather get paid by, an individual tenant or Uncle Sam?" Cudahy says Mitchell-Lama buildings offer owners a steady stream of income with the possibility of making more money. "As tenants leave, an owner can up the rent to market rate," she said. "The landlord then has the potential to make more, especially in Manhattan, where market-rate values are much higher than what tenants are paying. In the outer boroughs, taking the buildings out of Mitchell-Lama isn't necessarily as attractive."
Comment #7 Posted By: Anonymous 03/24/09
Anonymous
SO THE DIRTY SECRET THAT NO ONE WANTS TO REVEAL IS THAT GUYS LIKE GLUCK ARE NOT CAPITALISTS, THEY ARE WELFARE RECIPIENTS. they are as bad as the guys from AIG. Gluck is a real operator. How can anyone think that the tenants are getting handouts and that Gluck is an innocent CAPITALIST business man. Jeez, Gluck is a welfare landlord. UGH!!! Don't you people see that your taxes from the government are paying Gluck's mortgages! You are BUYING Gluck NYC real estate with your tax money that he takes for subsidized rents. Then He's going to sell the properties for 10 times what he paid for them and make a huge profit. WAKE UP!!! I would rather see the government buy individual apartments for many hard working middle income people than many large apartment complexes for ONE individual. THESE SO CALLED CAPITALIST BUSINESS MEN ARE ABUSING THE SYSTEM AND TAKING US TO THE CLEANERS.
Comment #8 Posted By: Anonymous 03/24/09
Anonymous
"Who would you rather get paid by, and individual tenant or Uncle Sam?" This is an outrage! "Claw back" that money!
Comment #9 Posted By: Anonymous 03/24/09