Mayor Adams urges landlords rent out warehoused apts for migrants

 NY Daily News

Turn up heat on city’s landlords, Eric urged

Critics say he should pressure them to make vacant apartments available for migrants amid estimates of 90,000 warehoused units

Excerpts:

The number of so-called warehoused apartments in the city is not entirely clear, but some have estimated there are more than 90,000 of them. This has led Ayala, a Democrat who represents East Harlem and parts of the Bronx, and others to question why Adams has pursued policies like housing migrants in school gyms, while forgoing efforts — at least publicly — to use actual apartments that may be more suitable for temporary living.

....

“We are looking at everything, including the warehousing of

apartments,” he said. “This is not just the mayor’s role to navigate the city out of a crisis. They cannot be on the sidelines saying why isn’t the mayor raising this. We all have to raise these issues that impact our constituencies.”

....

Sources in the Adams administration told the Daily News they’ve reached out to landlords privately to discuss housing migrants in their properties, and a spokesman for the Real Estate Board of New York, which represents building owners, said that the board itself has recently reached out to its members to pass along the city’s interest in identifying spaces.

Noon Rally at Foley Square on June 6, 2023 - before the Council Hearing on Intro. 195

 Click here for printable versions of the flyers in English and Spanish. 

City Council Hearing on Intro. 195-A on June 6th!

Warehousing is serious! Landlords are refusing to rent out tens of thousands of empty, rent-regulated apartments.   

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 1 PM, the City Council's committee on housing and buildings will hold a hearing on Intro. 195,  dealing with hazards in warehoused apartments. 

Council Members Carlina Rivera and Gale Brewer are lead sponsors of Intro. 195-A, which would allow the City's Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) to inspect vacant apartments where a neighbor has complained of a serious hazard like mold or lack of heat emanating from the vacant unit. 

Come to the hearing - and to the Foley Square rally at noon just before it - to show your support for the bill. 

You can testify (or not) in person, by phone, or by zoom, or even by a written statement.   Click 'Read more' to find out how.  And click here for a flyer in English and here for a flyer in Spanish. 

 

From: Zelony, Taylor <TZelony@council.nyc.gov>

Date: Wed, May 17, 2023 at 2:51 PM

Subject: New York City Council Hearing Invitation - June 6

 

Please be advised that the New York City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June 6 at 1:00 p.m. in Chambers, City Hall, New York, NY and via Zoom web-conference on the following topic: “Oversight – Vacancies and Warehousing.” Additionally, the Committee will hear the following legislation:

 

·         Int. No. 195 (Rivera), requiring registration and inspection of vacant dwelling units;

·         Int. No. 352 (Restler), requiring the registration of owners of vacant properties; and

·         Res. No. 563 (Sanchez), calling on the State to pass S.2985, in relation to affordable housing in cities having a population of one million or more

The hearing is posted online here.

 

You are hereby invited to attend and testify, either live via video conferencing, or live in person at City Hall.

 

If you are planning on testifying live in person or via video conferencing, please register in advance of the hearing at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/. Each person who intends to testify live via Zoom should register separately. If you plan to testify in person, it would be greatly appreciated if you could bring twenty (20) copies double-sided of your written testimony to the hearing.

 

Written testimony may be submitted without registration by emailing it to testimony@council.nyc.gov or via the Council’s website at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/ up to 72 hours after the close of the hearing.

 

The entrance to the hearing and restrooms at City Hall are fully accessible. For questions about accessibility or to request additional accommodations, please contact Nicole Benjamin (NBenjamin@council.nyc.gov or 212-482-5176) at least 72 hours before the hearing. All other questions about the hearing can be directed to Taylor Zelony (TZelony@council.nyc.gov).

 

Thank you,

Taylor Zelony

Legislative Counsel

Housing & Buildings Committee, New York City Council