Years after sparking protests over its looming height and multi-million dollar tax break, a residential tower just east of Prospect Park is back in the hot seat. Four tenants filed a proposed class action lawsuit in state court Thursday against an affiliate of Hudson Companies, which owns the Parkline building at 626 Flatbush Ave., accusing the developer of overcharging them while benefiting from a tax break called 421-a.
The lawsuit is latest of a series of suits based on investigations by the watchdog group Housing Rights Initiative. “We think we’ve identified over 1,500 421-a buildings that are out of compliance with the rent stabilization laws,” Aaron Carr, the group’s executive director, told City Limits. “Whether you’re a tenant or a taxpayer you should be up in arms about this.”
NYCHA Plan to Put Units Under Private Management is More Than Halfway Done—But Skepticism Persists More than 36,000 NYCHA apartments have either undergone conversion or are in the process of being converted to the RAD-PACT program, which officials say has helped drive billions in needed repairs. But tenants—some of whom will get a chance to vote this year on whether they want their developments to join the initiative—remain distrustful of the change. Read the story.
Hunger-Striking ICE Detainees Sue Over Conditions at NY’s Orange County Jail According to ICE’s detention management tool, 55 immigrants are detained at the upstate New York jail. Nahum Ortiz, one of the plaintiffs, says ICE is only renting one of the jail’s wings. “The ICE wing shouldn’t be treating us the same way as criminals. We’re not waiting for our sentencing, but we get the same treatment.” Read the story.
Nonprofit Shares Atlantic Ave. Rezoning Deal Docs, A Year After Developers Should Have The contracts underlying the rezonings suggest that both the affordable housing nonprofits and Brooklyn Councilmember Crystal Hudson could have acted earlier to ensure that the key information came out. Read the story.
Opinion: Unseal New York City’s ‘Black Box’ of School Curriculum Data “Unlike other data that reveals key insight on educational improvement—such as student attendance, academic performance, class size and the credentials of teachers and leaders—what curricula is being used in city schools is often unknown, in effect a black box. This makes it difficult to learn or study how curriculum choices and professional learning impact children’s learning.”
Queens es el campo de batalla en lucha presupuestaria para legalizar apartamentos en sótanos A medida que se acerca la fecha límite del presupuesto del estado, los legisladores demócratas de Queens están en desacuerdo sobre si se debe incluir una vía para legalizar los apartamentos en sótanos y subterráneos de la ciudad. Leer el artículo.
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Program Administrator at Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice The Program Administrator plays a central role operationally, administratively, and programmatically for the Feerick Center for Social Justice. This position requires someone with discretion and judgment who takes initiative and excels in a fast-paced, collaborative work environment with exceptionally strong oral and written communication, organizational, attention to detail, and follow through skills.
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