Policy

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

Photo by mari small on Unsplash

July 15, 2021

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

Affordable housing has long been a topic at the forefront of NYC politics, but it gained even more attention with Mayor de Blasio's plan to preserve or build 300,000 affordable units by 2026, which has resulted in a slew of new lotteries, a new more user-friendly web portal, and an update to ease the process for immigrants and low-income New Yorkers. But the topic is not without its issues, especially with the city reeling in the wake of the pandemic. Many still wonder if the city is doing enough for affordability and if some of the available units are really affordable. Ahead, we break down the different types of affordable housing programs, how you can qualify and apply, and what happens if and when you get in.
Everything you need to know about affordable housing

New York City’s marriage bureau will reopen for in-person weddings

Photo by Emma Bauso from Pexels

July 15, 2021

New York City’s marriage bureau will reopen for in-person weddings

By Devin Gannon

Save the date! New York City's marriage bureau will reopen next week for in-person appointments, nearly 16 months after the department closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The city's five marriage bureaus had been closed since 2020, although the city did permit virtual license appointments and ceremonies. The marriage bureau will reopen on July 19 with the first marriage licenses given out starting July 23, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during a press briefing on Thursday.
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Over 8,300 Covid deaths prevented by NYC’s vaccination effort, study says

A vaccination site in Co-Op City in the Bronx on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

July 14, 2021

Over 8,300 Covid deaths prevented by NYC’s vaccination effort, study says

By Devin Gannon

New York City's coronavirus vaccination campaign saved more than 8,300 lives and averted roughly 250,000 cases and 44,000 hospitalizations, according to a new study by epidemiologists at Yale University. The analysis, which was supported by the Commonwealth Fund, determined the city's swift rollout of the vaccine has "played a pivotal role in reducing the COVID-19 burden and in curbing surges from more transmissible emerging variants," Dr. Alison Galvani, the director of the Yale Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis, said on Wednesday.
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Policy

NYC says unvaccinated young people are behind Staten Island’s uptick in Covid cases

Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

July 13, 2021

NYC says unvaccinated young people are behind Staten Island’s uptick in Covid cases

By Devin Gannon

Some neighborhoods in New York City are seeing a slight increase in the number of coronavirus cases for the first time in weeks, as vaccinations slow and the Delta variant continues to spread. According to the city's Health Department, the city's seven-day average rate of positivity increased to 1.28 percent as of Monday, the highest rate in nearly two months, with 363 new cases on a seven-day rolling average. With a seven-day positivity of over 2.4 percent as of July 9, Staten Island has the highest test positivity rate of any borough. City officials point to those who remain unvaccinated, "particularly younger people," as the reason for this uptick.
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Policy

Cuomo’s ‘Circle of Heroes’ monument proposed for Battery Park City will be relocated after protests

Rendering courtesy fo Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

July 6, 2021

Cuomo’s ‘Circle of Heroes’ monument proposed for Battery Park City will be relocated after protests

By Devin Gannon

A new monument honoring essential workers will no longer be built in Battery Park City's Rockefeller Park after the community protested its location. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last month plans to construct at the Lower Manhattan park a "Circle of Heroes" memorial, which would include a circle of maple trees and an eternal flame. Opponents argue the monument would reduce green space and called out the governor's office for not working with the community. As seen in a video posted on Instagram last week and as first reported by Gothamist, George Tsunis, the chair of the Battery Park City Authority, told local residents: "This site is going to change. It's going to be a new site."
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Policy

New-York Historical Society expansion includes a home for the American L.G.B.T.Q.+ Museum

View along West 76th Street looking northeast. Rendering by Alden Studios for Robert A.M. Stern Architects, courtesy of the New-York Historical Society and NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

July 6, 2021

New-York Historical Society expansion includes a home for the American L.G.B.T.Q.+ Museum

The New-York Historical Society, the oldest museum in the city, recently unveiled to the Landmarks Preservation Commission plans to expand by more than 70,000 square feet with a five-story extension at the rear of its Upper West Side lot. The $140 million expansion will be designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern and include additional classrooms and gallery space, as well as a permanent home for the American L.G.B.T.Q.+ Museum, the city's first museum dedicated to L.G.B.T.Q. history and culture, as the New York Times first reported.
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Everything you need to know about NYC’s ticker-tape parade to honor Covid heroes

Photo by Spurekar via Flickr cc

July 6, 2021

Everything you need to know about NYC’s ticker-tape parade to honor Covid heroes

Update 7.7.21: Due to the extreme heat, the post-parade ceremony at City Hall Plaza has been cancelled. In April 2020, when New York City was truly the world epicenter for the coronavirus, Mayor de Blasio said that the city would hold a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes for health care workers, first responders, and essential workers as soon as things reopened. Fast forward 15 months, and the Hometown Heroes Parade will take place this Wednesday, July 7. Queens nurse Sandra Lindsay, who in December received the first vaccine dose in NYC, will serve as the parade's Grand Marshal, while Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts will host the ceremony.
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Rent Guidelines Board adopts partial rent hike for NYC’s rent-stabilized units

Photo by Rachel Martin on Unsplash

June 24, 2021

Rent Guidelines Board adopts partial rent hike for NYC’s rent-stabilized units

By Devin Gannon

Rents at New York City rent-stabilized apartments will freeze for six months and then increase by 1.5 percent for the next six months, under the proposal adopted by the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) on Wednesday. The unusual guidelines are meant to serve as a compromise between tenant activists who called for a rent freeze and landlords who wanted increases, as the city continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
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Policy

New York City ends to-go and delivery cocktails for restaurants

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

June 24, 2021

New York City ends to-go and delivery cocktails for restaurants

Governor Cuomo announced that as of today, the Covid-19 State of Emergency he put in place for New York on March 7, 2020, would end, given the success in vaccinations and declining hospitalization and positivity rates. This comes after the governor lifted almost all Covid-related restrictions last week. So although restaurants can now operate as they did pre-pandemic, they will also have to go back to not being allowed to offer to-go or delivery alcoholic beverages. The State Liquor Authority, who authorized the temporary pandemic-related privileges under the State of Emergency, made the announcement yesterday.
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Popular Articles

NYC agency approves removal of racist Theodore Roosevelt statue at AMNH

Renderings courtesy of NYC Parks/ AMNH

June 23, 2021

NYC agency approves removal of racist Theodore Roosevelt statue at AMNH

By Devin Gannon

The New York City Public Design Commission on Monday approved plans to remove and relocate the Theodore Roosevelt statue from the steps of the American Museum of Natural History, about a year after officials called for the controversial sculpture to be taken down. The city's Parks Department and AMNH presented their proposal last week to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the agency was unable to reach a decision. On Monday, The PDC voted unanimously to remove and relocate the statue to a relevant cultural institution.
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Trump Organization sues NYC over canceled Bronx golf course contract

Photo by Dan DeLuca on Flickr

June 22, 2021

Trump Organization sues NYC over canceled Bronx golf course contract

By Devin Gannon

The Trump Organization on Monday sued New York City, claiming the cancelation of its Bronx golf course contract earlier this year was politically motivated. In January, just days after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans to terminate several agreements with former President Donald Trump's company, including the contract for Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point. As first reported by ABC News, the lawsuit argues the mayor had a "pre-existing, politically-based predisposition to terminate Trump-related contracts, and the city used the events of January 6, 2021 as a pretext to do so."
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Policy

Kimlau War Memorial becomes NYC’s first landmark related to Chinese American history

Photo by Ken Lund on Flickr

June 22, 2021

Kimlau War Memorial becomes NYC’s first landmark related to Chinese American history

By Devin Gannon

New York City gained its first landmark related to Chinese American history and culture on Tuesday. The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the Kimlau War Memorial, a tribute to Chinese American veterans located in Chinatown. Designed by architect Poy Gum Lee, the memorial honors Americans of Chinese descent who died during World War II and has served as a gathering place for veterans.
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See NYC’s Flower District transformed with public courtyards, outdoor markets, and more

All renderings courtesy of SeeThree and ODA

June 21, 2021

See NYC’s Flower District transformed with public courtyards, outdoor markets, and more

By Devin Gannon

When the coronavirus pandemic hit New York City last spring, the city launched a successful effort to give pedestrians safe outdoor space through its"Open Streets" program, which closed some streets to cars. Extremely popular with New Yorkers, the initiative, along with its Open Restaurants and Open Culture counterparts, was expanded and made permanent this year. A local architecture firm is looking to capitalize on this reclamation of public city space with a new proposal aimed at reviving the once blossoming Flower District.
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New York hits 70% vaccination rate, Cuomo lifts all Covid restrictions

Photo by Florian Wehde on Unsplash

June 15, 2021

New York hits 70% vaccination rate, Cuomo lifts all Covid restrictions

Last week, Governor Cuomo announced that when New York hit a 70-percent vaccination rate among those 18+, he would lift reopening guidance across commercial and social settings. And as of today, the state has hit that milestone. In a celebratory press conference from the World Trade Center, the governor said, "We can now return to life as we know it." To mark the occasion, there will be 10 fireworks displays across the state tonight, including one in New York Harbor.
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With ties to the Harlem Renaissance, Dorrance Brooks Square is designated a historic district

Courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission

June 15, 2021

With ties to the Harlem Renaissance, Dorrance Brooks Square is designated a historic district

By Devin Gannon

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate the Dorrance Brooks Square Historic District, an architecturally intact area of Harlem associated with notable Black Americans. The district is anchored by Dorrance Brooks Square, a small park named for a member of the Harlem Hellfighters who died in active combat during World War I. When it was dedicated by the city in 1925, the square became the first in New York City to honor a Black serviceman. The historic district designated on Tuesday is the first in the city to be named after an African American, according to the LPC.
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Policy

New York City looks to create a museum of nightlife

Photo by Alexander Popov on Unsplash

June 11, 2021

New York City looks to create a museum of nightlife

By Devin Gannon

Although nightlife has long been an integral part of New York City's culture, there is no organization dedicated to memorializing it. That could soon change. As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, city officials are calling for a new museum that celebrates the history of New York's late-night culture and the movements born from it.
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New York will lift all remaining Covid restrictions when vaccination rate hits 70%

Photo by Daniel Tong on Unsplash

June 7, 2021

New York will lift all remaining Covid restrictions when vaccination rate hits 70%

New Yorkers can expect almost all Covid restrictions to be lifted very soon. The state's vaccination rate as of today is 68.6 percent; when it hits 70 percent, reopening guidance will be lifted across commercial and social settings. This includes capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screenings, and contact tracing information. Consistent with the CDC, current mask requirements will remain in place.
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NYC to launch vaccination pilot at public schools for students 12+

Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

June 3, 2021

NYC to launch vaccination pilot at public schools for students 12+

By Devin Gannon

New York City will open coronavirus vaccination sites at certain public schools as part of a pilot program aimed at increasing the number of young people who are vaccinated. The program will start at four schools in the Bronx on Friday with one school added each in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this week. In the next few weeks, the city expects to expand the program.
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Policy

Photo via Flickr

May 28, 2021

NYC Council votes to boost value of housing vouchers for homeless New Yorkers

By Devin Gannon

Under legislation approved by the New York City Council on Thursday, the value of rental assistance vouchers provided to homeless New Yorkers will increase, a major step in moving people out of shelters into permanent housing. Sponsored by Council Member Stephen Levin, the bill raises the city's rental subsidy, called CityFHEPS, from a maximum of $1,580/month to $2,217/month for a two-bedroom apartment for a family of three. Homeless advocates say this could help thousands more homeless families find permanent housing each year.
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New York officially gives real estate agents the go-ahead to collect broker fees

Photo by Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash

May 27, 2021

New York officially gives real estate agents the go-ahead to collect broker fees

By Devin Gannon

The state of New York this week walked back the broker fee ban that was never really a ban. Last year, the Department of State issued guidance related to the sweeping rent reform laws from 2019 that said brokers hired by landlords would not be allowed to charge prospective tenants a fee. Following several legal challenges, a judge ruled last month that a ban on broker fees was an "error of law" and struck down the law. The state on Tuesday officially updated the guidance to fall in line with the court ruling.
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Policy

In 2020, NYC subway saw a billion fewer total trips than year prior

Photo: Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit on Flickr

May 26, 2021

In 2020, NYC subway saw a billion fewer total trips than year prior

By Devin Gannon

Roughly a billion fewer passengers entered the New York City subway system in 2020 than in 2019, according to new data released this week by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The annual total ridership on the subway in 2019 was 1,697,787,002 passengers and 639,541,029 passengers in 2020. When the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring and Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all nonessential businesses to close, both city subway and bus ridership hit record lows. In April 2020, subway ridership hit just 8 percent of what it was in 2019.
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Starting this weekend, you can get a Covid vaccine at a NYC beach

Rockaway Beach. Photo by Malaya Sadler on Unsplash

May 25, 2021

Starting this weekend, you can get a Covid vaccine at a NYC beach

Just as it does every year, Memorial Day weekend will officially kick off beach season in New York City. But this year, New Yorkers will be able to enjoy the sun and get a Covid-19 vaccine. Mayor de Blasio announced today that starting this weekend, the city's mobile vaccine buses will be stationed at Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Orchard Beach, and the Rockaways.
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Policy

NYC public schools will fully reopen this fall without a remote option

Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

May 24, 2021

NYC public schools will fully reopen this fall without a remote option

By Devin Gannon

New York City public schools will not offer a remote option for students next school year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday. Starting on the first day of school on September 13, all students and school staff will return to the buildings full-time. "This is going to be crucial for families," de Blasio said during a press briefing. "So many parents are relieved, I know."
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Policy

Former NAACP headquarters in Greenwich Village is now a New York City landmark

Street View of 70 Fifth Avenue, Map data © 2020 Google; Photo of W.E.B. DuBois in 1918 from Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons

May 18, 2021

Former NAACP headquarters in Greenwich Village is now a New York City landmark

By Devin Gannon

A building in Greenwich Village that once served as the headquarters for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and housed W.E.B. DuBois' trailblazing magazine The Crisis, is now a New York City landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate 70 Fifth Avenue, a Neoclassical Beaux-Arts building designed by Charles A. Rich and built between 1912 and 1914. The commission on Tuesday also landmarked the Holyrood Episcopal Church-Iglesia Santa Cruz in Washington Heights.
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