In the News

City Council Discusses Permanent Open Restaurants Plan

February 18, 2022    

On Feb. 8, the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a joint hearing with the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection on the proposed permanent open restaurant program. The meeting lasted over eight hours with 250 people testifying for and against the program.

NYC Public Advocate Reveals 2021 Worst Landlords List

December 21, 2021    

The Office of the Public Advocate recently released its annual Worst Landlord Watchlist. The list is an information-sharing tool that enables tenants, public officials, advocates, and other concerned people to identify which residential property owners consistently flout city laws intended to...

OCJ Releases 'Right to Counsel' Progress Report

December 21, 2021    

The Office of Civil Justice (OCJ) within the New York City Human Resources Administration recently released a report on the fourth year’s implementation of the Universal Access to Legal Services or “Right to Counsel” law that was enacted in 2017. The law required the Office of...

ERAP Update: COVID Rent Relief Funds Depleted, Governor Requests More Federal Aid

November 19, 2021    

Nearly 280,000 households have submitted ERAP applications, and the number of payments issued to owners is 81,209 since the application portal opened on June 1, according to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the agency in charge of distributing $2.7 billion through the...

New City Council Bill Proposes Free Internet for Every Apartment

October 18, 2021    

Under a recently proposed bill by Council Member Ben Kallos, broadband Internet would be treated as a utility like electricity or hot water for apartments. If the bill is passed, existing buildings with 10 or more apartments would have until Jan. 1, 2026, to comply. And newly constructed...

OTDA Officials Discuss ERAP's Delayed Rollout, Current Progress

August 25, 2021    

On Aug. 10, the state Senate held a hearing with officials from the Office of Temporary and Disability Insurance (OTDA) on the rollout of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).

State Comptroller Reports on ERAP Challenges

August 25, 2021    

The Office of the New York State Comptroller recently issued a report on the problems plaguing the state's rent relief program. The report finds funds slow to move and not reaching low-income and minority New Yorkers. The report discusses the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)...

New Document Required for All Permits in DOB NOW

June 21, 2021    

The DOB’s new property ownership certification for Local Law 160 of 2017 is now available. According to a recent DOB Service Notice, as of June 30, 2021, all applications (except LAAs, electrical, and elevator jobs) will require this form to proceed in DOB NOW, the online platform for...

DOB Announces Construction Site Sweep for Safety Violations

June 21, 2021    

DOB Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca announced on June 1 that teams of DOB enforcement inspectors are mobilizing across the five boroughs to perform safety sweeps of construction sites, to ensure that they are safe for both workers and the public.

State Legislature Passes Bill Extending the J-51 Program

June 21, 2021    

The New York State Senate and Assembly recently passed legislation extending the J-51 property tax exemption and abatement program. The J-51 tax incentive is an as-of-right tax exemption and abatement for residential rehabilitation or conversion to multiple dwellings. J-51 participants are...

DEP Proposes Water Rate Increase for 2022

June 21, 2021    

Last month, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed a water rate increase for all rate payers citywide. DEP proposed a 2.76 percent increase to the water rate in 2022 to the city’s Water Board. Last year, with the pandemic as a backdrop, the DEP recommended freezing...

Eviction Moratorium Extended Through August

May 20, 2021    

On May 5, Governor Cuomo signed a measure passed by the New York State Legislature that extends a moratorium on evictions through Aug. 31. The law extends the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020, which was passed in December, for an additional four months. The...