3. HOUSING FOR EVERYONE – BUT NOT PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES.
“GOOD CAUSE EVICTION”
aka UNIVERSAL RENT CONTROL
Progressives and tenant activists are pressing hard for new laws to make it more difficult for all landlords to raise rents and evict tenants.
However, landlords are pushing back. Some note the proposal does nothing for those struggling to pay their rent every month and a voucher system would be better. They note it protects bad or nuisance tenants who pay their rent on time.
The proposal would limit rent increases for all rental apartments statewide. Small landlords argue that taxes and utilities are increasing and many rely on the income from their 2-3 family rentals to live on.
In a letter sent recently, nearly two dozen clergy members urged that the measure be rejected.
421-A AND MITCHELL-LAMA IMITATIONS
With the need for more housing, especially “affordable” housing, there is renewed interest in re-tooling some past approaches. The “Mitchell-Lama” program subsidized co-op style ownership housing where owners could recoup part of the increase in the value of their “affordable unit” with the unit remaining “affordable.” The NYC 421-A program gave tax breaks to NYC developers who included a specified percentage of “affordable” units.
NO TALK ABOUT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
The State reportedly closed 150 group homes upstate. Over 5,000 people are on the wait list for group home placements. Thousands more who don’t want to live in group homes are living with the aged or aging parents. Yet the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) “discourages” (actually “impedes”) families who try to cooperate among themselves to create new communities for people with disabilities. The proposed Budget includes only a miniscule amount of undesignated new money for housing capital.