MITCHELL-LAMA RESIDENTS COALITION Vol. 21, Issue 3 WEBSITE: www.mitchell-lama.org September/October 2016 City issues new rules Village View residents for affordable housing lotteries at odds over whether to go private series of new affordable hous- means.” ing lottery rules, designed to aid The requirements – the first updates ome residents at Village View, a Alower income New Yorkers, has to these guidelines since Housing Connect Mitchell-Lama coop in the East been issued by the department of Housing was launched in 2013 – address feedback SVillage that opened in 1964, are push- Preservation and Development. The rules received by applicants, affordable housing ing to have the 1,236-unit development are designed to ensure that New Yorkers advocates, marketing agents and for-profit leave M-L and go private. With rents and most in need of affordable housing attain and not-for-profit developers about the coop prices in the area soaring--even the the units. City’s affordable housing eligibility criteria ancient walk-up railroad tenements in The changes include “ending devel- and the application process, the statement the area (East Sixth and Seventh streets, opers and leasing agents’ ability to deny said. In response, HPD and HDC said they between First Avenue and Avenue A) are applications based solely on credit scores; reviewed and revised the policies to make now charging rents of $3,000 per apart- new standards for homeless shelter refer- them fairer, more transparent and more ment--some of the Village View coopera- rals to account for special challenges faced effective at targeting affordable housing to tors, who for years benefitted from public by these households; strictly limiting the those most in need. subsidies, are hoping to eventually sell and ability of landlords to deny an applicant “New York City is home to almost reap a fortune. based only on their exercising due process one million people with disabilities,” But as in other M-L developments rights in housing court; and imposing lim- said the Mayor’s Office for People with that are, or have been, faced with the its on personal assets,” according to a City Disabilities Commissioner Victor Calise. option of going private, many cooperators press statement. “The release of this handbook marks great are counter-pushing to keep the buildings “Every New Yorker deserves equal progress in ensuring that accessible and affordable to others. access to an affordable home, including vet- affordable homes are available to the fami- As a first step towards resolving the erans, the elderly and homeless individuals lies who need them.” issue, the board of directors must commis- and families,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. In the release, the Department of sion a feasibility study to explore the rami- “Disqualifications based solely on credit Veterans’ Services said they were “espe- fications of going private. For that study to history, or because a tenant fought for his cially concerned with ensuring veterans are proceed, however, at least fifty-one percent or her rights in housing court, have no not discriminated against because their pri- of 617 apartments would have to approve. place in our affordable housing programs. mary source of income is their post-9/11 GI But even if the study is approved, at least These key improvements to the rules level Bill.” The new rules will require landlords two-thirds of residents in 822 apartments the playing field and give every household to rent to veterans exactly as they would to would still have to vote to go private. the chance to find a home within their anyone else. Further, if the development leaves M-L, residents could choose to remain in their Strengthen MLRC apartments under some form of rent regu- Join today (use form on page 2) lation. ‘GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING’ Saturday, October 29, 2016 10:00 a.m - noon Workshops for ML co-op shareholders, and current & former residents of post ’73 ML rentals Refreshments at 10:00 a.m. CONTACT: [email protected] PLACE: Musicians Union, Local 802, 322 W. 48th St., near 8th Ave. in the ground floor “Club Room.” Subway trains: No. 1 to 50th St. & 7th Ave.; Q,W to 49th St. & Broadway; E to 50th St. & 8th Ave. Mitchell-Lama Residents Coalition Box 20414 P.O. Park West Station New York 10025 New York, Page 2 September/October 2016 HUD proposes Sec 8 rule change to expand tenant opportunities UPCOMING EVENTS enants who receive Section 8 housing “This Small Area Fair Market Rent [SMFR] vouchers will theoretically have more approach is intended to increase voucher MLRC Tchoices on where to live if a rule holders’ access to a greater number of units change proposed by HUD is enacted. in low poverty [‘higher opportunity”] areas General Membership The change would recalculate the while reducing excess subsidy from some way HUD determines the subsidies. At high poverty neighborhoods.” Meeting present, subsidies are geared to a “fair In proposing this change, HUD cites market rent” which is based on all rents numerous studies showing that the eco- Saturday,October 29, 2016 charged within an entire metropolitan area. nomic vitality of a community has a pro- 10:00 a.m - noon If enacted, the rule change would instead found lifetime effect on the lives of those calculate subsidies based on zip codes with- who live there, especially for children. in the area, rather than on the entire area For a discussion on the pros and Workshops for ML co-op share- itself. cons of the proposed rule change, see holders, and current & former This means that in a wealthier, more http://rooflines.org/4544/give_housing_ residents of post ’73 ML rentals desirable section of a city--a “higher oppor- vouchers_their_full_power/?utm_source tunity” area--subsidies would be higher, =Section+8+Gets+More+Power&utm_cam Members are urged to voice so that a landlord in such an area would paign=Section+8+Gets+More+Power&u be more willing to rent to a Sec. 8 tenant, tm_medium=email concerns regarding their develop- because the higher subsidy he or she would For HUD’s own statement, see ments, especially long- and short- receive from the government would be http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/ term standing issues more in line with that zip code’s market HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_ ---- rate. According to a HUD press statement, advisories/2016/HUDNo_16-092 Musicians Union, Local 802, 322 W. 48th St., near 8th Ave. in the Income spike no longer ground floor “Club Room” curtails rent exemptions For more information, e-mail: esidents who qualify for the city’s previous benefit, rather than requiring them [email protected] RSenior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption to reapply as a new applicant at their higher (SCRIE) or Disability Rent Increase rent,” said Assemblyman Cymbrowitz. Exemption (DRIE) programs will no lon- Senator Marty Golden (R-Brooklyn) ger be penalized for a temporary increase was the bill’s Senate sponsor. A recent report in income, as a result of legislation intro- issued by Enterprise Community Services Mitchell-Lama Residents duced by Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz and LiveOn NY found that while 32 percent Coalition, Inc. (D-Brooklyn) that was recently signed into of New York City's single seniors are severely law by Governor Cuomo. rent burdened, or paying over half of their Officers “This new law will assist those who income on rent, only 43 percent of those Co-chairs: Jackie Peters have a non-recurring spike in income to eligible for SCRIE (approximately 52,000 Ed Rosner reapply for SCRIE or DRIE and receive their households out of 121,729) actually enroll. Margo Tunstall Treasurer: Carmen Ithier JOIN THE MITCHELL-LAMA RESIDENTS COALITION Financial Sec’y: Alexis Morton 2016 Recording Sec’y: Sonja Maxwell INDIVIDUAL $15.00 per year and DEVELOPMENT 25 cents per apartment Corresponding Sec’y: Katy Bordonaro ($30 Minimum; $125 Maximum) Name____________________________________________________________ MLRC NEWSLETTER STAFF Address______________________________________________Apt.____________ Editor: Ed Rosner Assistant editors: Katy Bordonaro City________________________State___________________Zip Code__________ Sonja Maxwell Evening Phone_______________________ Day Phone______________________ Jackie Peters Margo Tunstall Fax______________________ E-mail ___________________________________ Editorial Coordinator: Nathan Weber Current ML: Co-op__________________________ Rental _____________________ Circulation: 5,000 Former ML: Co-op__________________________ Rental _____________________ Development_______________________________ Renewal____New Member____ Articles, letters, and photographs are welcome. Send to MLRC, P.O. Box President’s Name: _____________________________________________________ 20414, Park West, New York, NY 10025 Donations in addition to dues are welcome. Fax: (212)864-8165 NOTE: Checks are deposited once a month. Voice Mail: (212) 465-2619 Mail to: MLRC, PO Box 20414, Park West Finance Station, New York, N.Y. 10025 email: [email protected] September/October 2016 Page 3 Officials here push Council bill Yuh-Line Niou wins to counter tenant ‘blacklists’ Dem primary for bill to counter the notorious “ten- of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and requires: 65th Assembly seat ant blacklists,” or lists of tenants “Each housing court case men- Awho have appeared in the city’s tioned must contain the names of all uh-Line Niou, former chief of staff to housing court, was introduced in the City parties involved, the claims alleged, the Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim, won Council in August by Council Member Ben current status or outcome of the case, and Ythe Democratic primary race for the Kallos. which party initiated the case; 65 Assembly District in Manhattan, effec- Prepared by tenant “screening” “Tenant screening companies will tively ousting Alice Cancel who had held the companies and sold to landlords, the lists have to state the defenses asserted by seat since April, several months after the for- merely contain the names of any tenants the tenant and the specific outcome of mer decades-long speaker, Sheldon Silver, who have ever appeared in housing court.