Housing

Update: D11 City Council Race: Mino Lora Addresses Inwood Development Controversy

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  District 11 City Council candidate, Mino Lora, has been facing pressure in recent weeks to explain her alleged support of a controversial, $200 million re-zoning plan, announced in 2018, for the Northern Manhattan district of Inwood, where the candidate’s nonprofit, the People’s Theater Project (PTP) is located. Lora faced criticism from detractors from a number of different perspectives, and has addressed each of them. We will attempt to break them down one by one.   Firstly, local Inwood housing activists had objected to the housing component of the plan, concerned they would eventually be “rezoned” or displaced from their


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Melrose: First Two “La Central” Affordable Housing Complex Properties Open

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Housing developers celebrated the completion of two new affordable housing properties within the sprawling La Central residential complex in the Melrose section of the Bronx, earlier this week, as reported by YIMBY.     Located at 556 and 600 Bergen Avenue, buildings A and B comprise nearly 500 income-restricted units, a new YMCA, a production studio for BronxNet, a rooftop farm operated by GrowNYC, and a mix of retail businesses.     Within both buildings, residential layouts range from studios to four-bedroom apartments, and are available exclusively to residents earning between 30 percent and 100 percent of the Area


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Housing Lottery Launches for Units at 1728 Townsend Avenue in Mount Hope, Deadline July 2

By SÍLE MOLONEY
An affordable housing lottery has launched for units at 1728 Townsend Avenue in the Mount Hope section of The Bronx. The six-story residential building was designed by Badaly Architects and yields 22 units, as reported by YIMBY.   Available on NYC Housing Connect are seven units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $48,000 to $139,620. Units will have smart controls for heating/cooling and name-brand appliances and finishes. Amenities include a garage, bike storage lockers, package lockers, a shared laundry room, and security cameras.   At 130 percent of the AMI,


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Belmont: 50-Year-Old Fordham Heights Man Dies following Assault

By SÍLE MOLONEY
A Fordham Heights man has died following an apparent assault in Belmont.   On Thursday, Feb. 25, at around 6.50 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding a man who had been assaulted in front of 2308 Washington Avenue in the vicinity of Little Italy in Belmont, located in the 48th precinct.   Upon arrival, officers observed a 50-year-old man with trauma to the face and head. EMS responded to the location and transported the victim to an area hospital, where he was treated before being transported to a long-term care facility, where he was pronounced deceased on Monday,


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Housing Lottery Launches for Units at 516-518 East 147th Street in Mott Haven

By SÍLE MOLONEY
An affordable housing lottery has launched for units at 516-518 East 147th Street Apartments in Mott Haven. The adjacent four-story, mixed-use developments are designed by Shahriar Afshari, and yield seven units each with community facility space on the ground floor, as reported by YIMBY.   Available on NYC Housing Connect are six units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $63,429 to $139,620.   Units will have air conditioning, dishwashers, and name-brand appliances and finishes. Residents will also have access to a shared rooftop terrace. At 130 percent of the AMI,


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State Comptroller Releases Economic Report on The Bronx

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Bronx harder than any other borough by several measures, according to an economic analysis released on June 8 by the New York State comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, with one finding showing that only 61.3 percent of households had reliable internet, compared to a range of 69.5 to 78 percent across the city, as previously reported by Norwood News.    To address this, the comptroller’s office reported that as part of a recent deal, the City expects fiber-optic infrastructure to reach 500,000 new households citywide (no deadline was specified), including households in Norwood, Fordham, University Heights, Bedford


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Dinowitz Bill Allowing Seniors in Co-Ops Access to Home Equity Loans Passed by Legislature

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The State Assembly and State Senate have passed legislation (A1508) to allow seniors living in cooperative apartment buildings to apply for “reverse mortgages,” a type of loan currently available to homeowners that transfers built-up home equity into cash. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), who was one of the legislators to introduce the bill, announced the news on Friday, June 11, as the Legislature broke for the summer recess.   According to bankrate.com, a home equity loan is a lump-sum loan that’s secured by home equity. Quickloans.com defines equity as the difference between what a person owes on their mortgage and


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Bronx CB7 May General Meeting Sees New Officer Nominations & Veterans Fare Discounts

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  A jam-packed agenda extended the May Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7) general board meeting to just under two hours. Much of the meeting, held on May 25, was spent going over the nominations for incoming officer positions for the upcoming year, including chairperson, first vice chair, second vice chair, third vice chair, treasurer, and secretary. Several motions were also passed, including those relating to requested letters of support from the board to different city agencies and elected officials.   Each year, during the general board’s May meeting, nominations are made for new officer positions, and the final vote is


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June 14 Bronx Public Hearing on 10 Preliminary Recommendations re Property Tax Reform

By SÍLE MOLONEY
A public hearing for Bronxites on property tax reform will take place on Monday June 14.   In 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson established an advisory commission to develop recommendations to make the City’s property tax system simpler, clearer, and fairer. City officials said they did so while ensuring there was no reduction in the revenue used to fund essential City services. In early 2020, the Commission released a preliminary report, which included ten initial recommendations for property tax reform.   The preliminary report also included a brief history of New York City’s property


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