Comments, questions and debate on the content of documents (listed above) are welcomed. They are about the tax incentive program (421a) and its relationship to areas of the city (the GEA) where it is mandatory to provide 20% of the apartments as affordable housing. Housing advocates in CD12 will begin study of these rapidly changing issues by gaining access to previous negotiations. Developers in CD12 can apply for 421a benefits, but are not mandated by the GEA as currently proposed. The GEA boundaries will be reviewed every two years (2009). The zoning change in Sherman Creek and Inwood offers an Inclusionary Zoning benefit that is voluntary. The inclusionary benefit might be summed up this way. But we are always looking for better ways to explain it all. Here is one: The developer is “not entitled to benefits unless x” strategy. For example, the benefit at the "base" or "starting point" of benefit to developers is 20 years with an onsite housing component and a 10 year benefit with negotiable certificates in the old 421a policy. The benefit has two key dimensions. It turns a variable development cost (property tax) into a fixed cost for the term. A valuable thing in itself. And it locks the tax payment in for a specific period of time (25, 20, 10 years) with benefits associated with each period based on the time committment. Individual areas are negotiable. The Brooklyn CD1 area offers a 25 year benefit if it includes onsite units, 15 with offsite certificates, but these are limited limited to 200 units. Workshops, legal counsel representing "class action" opportunity, lists of buildings and owners in the area who are willing to work together on a financing package, community-based nonprofits that can assign staff for pre-develoment organzing, inspections, assessments, cost studies and overall feasibility on one side, and property owners willing to consider a personal legacy as a higher value than pure capitalization. Are all in the mix at this point. HPD has an RFP out now for $2 million plus to conduct a Tenant Assistance Plan (aka: find and screen). The city now boasts of this project as producing a total of 8,500 apartments that will be affordable as part of the projected 30,000 apartments to be constructed in CD1 Brooklyn. This brings the "affordable" to market rate percentage to 28.3 percent. Housing Paper (DRAFT) CD12's most important resource is housing if and only if it can be kept affordable for its current residents | Please review the following document: Housing (1,164KB pdf)
Review Period Closed with Thanks to All It was last updated and uploaded from the previous version dated October 4, 2006. The current version is dated October 27,2006. The major addition is a more detailed description of "cost burden" in relation to rent and income. The most recent and final version will be made available at this location in September 2007. Thanks to all who made comments! Reponse to comments and questions continue to improve the housing document. Your participation in encouraged. To join the Working Group on Housing in CD12 just use the "Contact Us" link. The plan seeks participation in the development of housing discussions and teach-ins on who the best developers are, what a building rehabilitation can do, best practice tenant organizing, production through preservation, and so on...please contact us... The document above initiates the basis for the Housing Task Force organized by the CD12 Housing Committee. This site will continue to develop information about individual building history; its certifications, licenses, insurance, and bonding. It will contribute to keeping Washington Heights and Inwood's housing sound and safe. As changes will be constant, downloading is not recommended until notice is made directly by e-mail, or on this page. It will seek the professional experience of community leaders; and other important information... |
| From time to time an article on housing relevant to the issues of CD12 will be posted in this section. Recommendations are welcomed, please use the Contact Us link with your suggestions. Scroll down to download housing issue resources: Affordablle Rent Table Essay on Affordablity Imperative by the best in business Forming a Housing Trust Fund (Case: Cooper Square) Legal Services Expands in CD12 thanks to the FBI Independent Budget Office Report on Mayors Housing Plan "No Vacancy" Study 2008 Manhattan Borough President Study
"Measuring Overcrowding in Housing," is available for download in PDF format from the HUD USER AHS web site. Look for the link in the "AHS Based Analyses" section. This report considers a number of operational measure of overcrowded housing and then examines each using data from the American Hous ing Survey. Both time-series and cross-sectional tabulations are presented. An appendix to the report includes a review of the literature on the effects of overcrowded housing on its occupants.
1. The affordable rent ? A detailed two page explanation of "Affordable Housing" can be reviewed at the folowing link. Please see: What does "affordable" mean? (58KB pdf)
The paper on housing examines many issues associated with the affordability of housing. One of them builds on the significant amount of housing built in CD12 prior to 1947. (see description: Housing 1,164KB pdf below) Excluding the interior quality issue for a moment CD12's current affordability is built on a history of regulated rents through rent stabilization. While the buildings are "old", they were built to withstand substantial physical change. This community withstood the great period of abandonment during the 1970s and 1980s. The study has identified only a "handful" of locations in CD12 where housing was lost and only demolished building sites remain. 2. The Affordable Housing Imperative The most readable essay in decades on why we fight for affordable housing based on the income of the household is below. If you are new to housing and its complexity read this first. James Stockard is the author and it makes perfect sense beginning to end. 3. A Housing Trust Fund in New York The housing needs of New York City and State residents are continuing to push its political leadership toward a dedicated source of funding for affordable housing. A long term national advocate is the Center for Community Change. Their Housing Trust Fund Project produces reports useful for placing NYS progress in this area with the rest of the nation. Acquiring Privately Owned Buildings
Know of a building that could be acquired from the owner? A recent project in the Bronx, stimulated by the Fordham Bedford Develoment Corporation was recently formed through the New York City Acquistion Fund for six buildings in the Northeast Bronx. For more click here Housing Acquired Community Land Trusts/Low-Income Multifamily Rental Housing:
The Case of Cooper Square, New York City By Tom Angotti This paper examines the costs and benefits of a multifamily project by the Cooper Square Community Land Trust in New York City. The trust provides low-income housing with guaranteed long-term affordability where gentrification is removing affordable units from the community. Angotti tracks the neighborhood organizing that led to its formation and the negotiations that led to community-controlled land. 4. Legal Services Expanded in Upper Manhattan on Housing
With the support of CUNY's Community Legal Resource Network, Columbia University and others, New York State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat (D-72nd District) developed plans for the expansion of legal services to advocate for residents in CD12.
This is action is partly in response to an alleged scheme to defraud investors in Washington Heights & Inwood by real estate developers. The charges leading to arrests focused on buildings owned by the Kingsland Group. (see links and lists below) Overall, the rising cost of housing in comparison to wages continues to press heavily on the economic well-being of CD12. The legal services are part of a yearlong campaign initiated by Assemblyman Espaillat and Nos Quedamos/Project Remain in coordination with the City University of New York (CUNY), the City University of New York School of Law and the Community Legal Resource Network (CLRN) and Columbia University. The resulting policy recommendations call for free legal services in the district office of Assemblyman Espaillat, 210 Sherman Avenue, New York, New York 10034, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tenants interested in making an appointment to speak with an Attorney must call: (212) 544-2278. According to the Mortgage Fraud Blog ( click here) The properties listed in the complaint associated with the Kingsland Group are: 2301-2303 2nd Ave 249 E. 118th Street
528 W. 152nd Street 531 W. 179th Street
283 Audubon Ave
503-505 W. 176th St
70-72 Pinehurst Ave.
2180-82 Amsterdam Ave
507 W.184th St
559 W. 183rd St
704 W. 180th Street
234-236 E. 118th Street
510-516 W. 184th St
500 W. 190th Street
516-520 W. 184th Street
515 W. 184th Street
520-524 W. 184th Street Also: 5. Independent Budget Office Report on Mayors Housing Plan Four years into Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 10-year, $7.5 billion plan to build and preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing, IBO tallies the results to date--numbers of units, affordable to whom, and money spent. The report also considers the prospects for meeting the Mayor's 10-year housing goals. Attached to this e-mail is a pdf file with a summary version of the report. This newsfax version of the report is available on IBO's Web site here . The full version of the report is available here . To receive printed versions of this or any other IBO publication, e-mail ibo@ibo.nyc.ny.us or call (212) 442-0632. IBO also encourages you to forward this information and welcomes comments. 6. No Vacancy 7. Finance Publishes Listings of 421a Exempt Properties
Finance publishes listings of 421a Exempt Properties in all five boroughs for FY 2008/2009
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