WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Rent-stabilized units drop, no charges for Floyd protest cops, Nostrand Houses to test NYC Housing Preservation Trust

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Earlier this year, THE CITY published a database of tens of thousands of rent-stabilized buildings whose owners reported having fewer regulated apartments in 2021 than in 2019.

The drop was surprising, since changes to rent laws in 2019 forbade removing apartments from regulation in most instances.

Now THE CITY has obtained the same information for 2022 — and it shows that an even larger number of apartments that had once been registered as rent-stabilized are now unaccounted for. The state housing agency and landlord groups say that late paperwork from landlords likely accounts for the decline, as did pandemic disruptions.

Citywide, over 15,000 buildings report fewer rent-stabilized units today than they did in 2019, the data shows.

Tenant advocates are keeping close watch on the numbers. And previous reporting by THE CITY has found that some apartments that disappear from rent registrations are actually being rented to tenants — as unregulated apartments, or as shared living spaces charging thousands of dollars per room monthly. Others undergo reconstruction as landlords take advantage of a loophole allowing buildings that undergo “substantial rehabilitation” to exit rent regulation.

Read more about NYC’s declining tally of rent-stabilized units here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday's Weather Rating: 5/10. Rainy and dreary to start, but the storm quickly exits our area by later this morning. A blustery wind sticks around and cold air filters in, with temperatures only reaching the mid 40s this afternoon. The vibes are all over the place today!

Our Other Top Stories

Two NYPD officers who drove their SUVs into a crowd of protesters blocking a Brooklyn street at the height of the George Floyd protests in 2020 have been cleared of wrongdoing, Civilian Complaint Review Board officials confirmed last week. Police Commissioner Edward Caban has endorsed an NYPD administrative trial judge’s recommendation that officer Andrey Samusev be found not guilty of multiple charges of improper use of force with a vehicle — and he reversed the same judge’s recommended finding of guilt against officer Daniel Alvarez. A preliminary tally of votes indicates that tenants of the Nostrand Houses in Brooklyn have approved testing a new strategy — the NYC Housing Preservation Trust — which Mayor Eric Adams has trumpeted as the financial solution to the city’s public housing woes. As a public authority, NYCHA is prohibited from floating bonds. But the trust was set up as a non-profit affiliate of NYCHA that will have the ability to enter the bond market to raise billions of dollars. Now NYCHA, which claims to need $78 billion to adequately upgrade its huge portfolio of 161,400 apartments — and $600 million to fully renovate Nostrand’s 1,148 apartments — will now be able to test the trust.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, Dec. 12: Virtual Rat Academy, an online class hosted by the city Department of Health for community gardeners to learn about pest control. Free from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14: Cocktails & Culture at the Museum of the City of New York, an evening event for adults with music from DJ tres dos and food by La Fonda NYC. Free with museum admission at 6 p.m.  Saturday, Dec. 16-Sunday, Dec. 17: The Social Justice Holiday Market, featuring politically conscious gifts from lots of vendors. From 12 to 6 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, at Mayday Space in Brooklyn.

THE KICKER: The Frick, which is currently closed for a $160 million renovation and expansion, submitted a liquor license application that would allow it to have 17 bars and parties until 4 a.m. when it reopens, reports Patch. Some neighbors were not pleased.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Monday.

Love,

THE CITY

PS. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2023 THE CITY, All rights reserved.