http://www.nypost.com/seven/
Posts
City of Yes, Drop Dead
5 weeks ago
Showing posts with label DHCR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DHCR. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2008
The eviction predator spreads its wings
"A state housing official from Brooklyn was busted for selling lists of rent-regulated tenants to builders so they could target properties for redevelopment," NY Post
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08232008/news/regionalnews/ny_staffer_arrested_in_renters_for_sale__125698.htm
http://www.nypost.com/seven/
Thursday, August 14, 2008
DHCR hearings on demolition eviction
August is a busy time for government hearings. It's that small window of opportunity for government to escape notice while everyone is on vacation. (That hearings are even allowed during August is a disgrace in a democracy.)
Tuesday's DHCR hearing was something of a diversion.
DHCR currently allows landlords to demolish buildings solely for the purpose of evicting rent stabilized tenants and rebuilding minus rent stabilized tenants. It's just another way to skirt rent protections, along with owner-occupancy according to which a landlord can evict you from your home for his personal use of it (reminiscent of feudal driot de seigneur, which also included taking your wife and daughters -- if they were worth money, that would be next on the agenda) and luxury decontrol. By allowing landlords to compensate evicted tenants for a limited number of years, rather than requiring landlords to return the tenants to the rebuilt building with their previous rents, DHCR is encouraging landlords to evict and demolish and eliminate affordable housing.
Demolitions should be allowed only if the tenants are endangered by a structurally unsound building, not to endanger tenants merely for the landlord's profit.
Yet the hearing didn't address the question of whether demolitions should be allowed in structurally sound, inhabited buildings. Instead, the hearing concerned whether the whole building must be razed completely to the ground or only partly to the ground to allow for such evictions and how much or how little the evicted should be compensated for their loss of home. Sort of like asking whether murderers should be required to clean up their victims' bloody corpses or may they leave them lying around the house or in the street. Surely these are the wrong questions. They assume too much. This is a world stood upside down.
The best testimonies -- perhaps the best given by Monte Shapiro -- emphasized that demolition should only be allowed if the building is structurally unsound, that tenants should be relocated in comparable space in the neighborhood at comparable rents and, after the structure is rebuilt, offered comparable space at comparable rent in the rebuilt structure. That would deter landlords from demolishing solely for the purpose of building a new structure, as several people put it, "in no significant way different from the original structure except without the rent stabilized tenants."
The demonstration prior to the hearing was attended by a crowd unusually large for the steps of City Hall. Our Councilmember Rosie Mendez spoke first and coordinated the speakers who included Martin Connor, Gale Brewer and Dick Gottfried, a few others; Deborah Glick's office helped organize the demonstration. Councilmember Tony Avella appeared but had to leave early for a Council hearing. Paul Newell, who is challenging Sheldon Silver in the democratic primary, attended as well. Silver didn't show.
Tuesday's DHCR hearing was something of a diversion.
DHCR currently allows landlords to demolish buildings solely for the purpose of evicting rent stabilized tenants and rebuilding minus rent stabilized tenants. It's just another way to skirt rent protections, along with owner-occupancy according to which a landlord can evict you from your home for his personal use of it (reminiscent of feudal driot de seigneur, which also included taking your wife and daughters -- if they were worth money, that would be next on the agenda) and luxury decontrol. By allowing landlords to compensate evicted tenants for a limited number of years, rather than requiring landlords to return the tenants to the rebuilt building with their previous rents, DHCR is encouraging landlords to evict and demolish and eliminate affordable housing.
Demolitions should be allowed only if the tenants are endangered by a structurally unsound building, not to endanger tenants merely for the landlord's profit.
Yet the hearing didn't address the question of whether demolitions should be allowed in structurally sound, inhabited buildings. Instead, the hearing concerned whether the whole building must be razed completely to the ground or only partly to the ground to allow for such evictions and how much or how little the evicted should be compensated for their loss of home. Sort of like asking whether murderers should be required to clean up their victims' bloody corpses or may they leave them lying around the house or in the street. Surely these are the wrong questions. They assume too much. This is a world stood upside down.
The best testimonies -- perhaps the best given by Monte Shapiro -- emphasized that demolition should only be allowed if the building is structurally unsound, that tenants should be relocated in comparable space in the neighborhood at comparable rents and, after the structure is rebuilt, offered comparable space at comparable rent in the rebuilt structure. That would deter landlords from demolishing solely for the purpose of building a new structure, as several people put it, "in no significant way different from the original structure except without the rent stabilized tenants."
The demonstration prior to the hearing was attended by a crowd unusually large for the steps of City Hall. Our Councilmember Rosie Mendez spoke first and coordinated the speakers who included Martin Connor, Gale Brewer and Dick Gottfried, a few others; Deborah Glick's office helped organize the demonstration. Councilmember Tony Avella appeared but had to leave early for a Council hearing. Paul Newell, who is challenging Sheldon Silver in the democratic primary, attended as well. Silver didn't show.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Three pressing issues all at once: rezoning, eviction policy, class-action suit against rent hikes.
1. Rezoning
Deadline tomorrow, August 7, to submit opinions to Borough President Stringer on the rezoning that will bring 53% more development than current zoning, less than 10% of which will be "affordable" housing, and leaves Chinatown and the Bowery unprotected.
City Planning's Hearing on the rezoning: August 13, 9-11am, Tishman Auditorium of Vanderbilt Hall, New York University School of Law, 40 Washington Square South.
2. Eviction policy
DHCR's hearing on their proposal to allow tenants to be evicted for gut renovations with little or no compensation. Tuesday, August 12, 10am-4pm Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street.
Demonstration prior to the hearing, organized with the help of State Assemblymember Deborah Glick, on the steps of City Hall, 10am, then march together to the hearing.
3. Class action on flat-rate rent hikes
Class action law suit against the flat-rate $45-$85 rent hikes for low-rent tenants. The Rent Guidelines Board allows landlords for the first time to impose a flat rate $45/one year, $85/two year lease increases on stabilized apartments. This flat rate discriminates against low-income renters. The Board is unmistakably trying to "cleanse" the city of low-income renters by increasing their rents even above the percentage increases applied to higher-paying renters. Legal aid needs to hear from tenants who wish to participate in the law suit. Call 212 577 3964.
Deadline tomorrow, August 7, to submit opinions to Borough President Stringer on the rezoning that will bring 53% more development than current zoning, less than 10% of which will be "affordable" housing, and leaves Chinatown and the Bowery unprotected.
City Planning's Hearing on the rezoning: August 13, 9-11am, Tishman Auditorium of Vanderbilt Hall, New York University School of Law, 40 Washington Square South.
2. Eviction policy
DHCR's hearing on their proposal to allow tenants to be evicted for gut renovations with little or no compensation. Tuesday, August 12, 10am-4pm Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street.
Demonstration prior to the hearing, organized with the help of State Assemblymember Deborah Glick, on the steps of City Hall, 10am, then march together to the hearing.
3. Class action on flat-rate rent hikes
Class action law suit against the flat-rate $45-$85 rent hikes for low-rent tenants. The Rent Guidelines Board allows landlords for the first time to impose a flat rate $45/one year, $85/two year lease increases on stabilized apartments. This flat rate discriminates against low-income renters. The Board is unmistakably trying to "cleanse" the city of low-income renters by increasing their rents even above the percentage increases applied to higher-paying renters. Legal aid needs to hear from tenants who wish to participate in the law suit. Call 212 577 3964.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
