REFinBlog

April 27, 2015

Abusive Non-Rent Fees for Rent Stabilized Tenants

The Urban Justice Center’s Community Development Project has issued a report, The Burden of Fees: How Affordable Housing is Made Unaffordable. The introduction reads, Tenants in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods are under attack. Despite the existence of laws such as … Continue reading →

April 21, 2015

How Can Tech Support Housing Rights?

Here is Linda Raftree’s write up of the Technology Salon Brooklyn event on How Can Tech Support Housing Rights in Brooklyn? The salon co-hosted the event with the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF) and AfroLatin@ Project.  The salon attendees explored the issue of tenant rights within the wider context … Continue reading →

April 14, 2015

Reiss at TechSalon on Tenant Rights

I will be the lead discussant at a Technology Salon Brooklyn event on Thursday morning: How Are ICTs and Social Media Supporting Tenant Rights? The invitation reads, Gentrification is top of mind of many Brooklynites, as they are pushed out of … Continue reading →

March 27, 2015

Housing out of Thin Air

NYU’s Furman Center has posted a policy brief, Creating Affordable Housing out of Thin Air: The Economics of Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning in New York City. It opens, In May 2014, New York City’s new mayor released an ambitious housing agenda … Continue reading →

Friday’s Government Reports Roundup

CFPB releases report of KPMG audit of its operations and budget. In the report, CFPB agrees with KPMG’s findings about control deficiencies and is aiming to fix such deficiencies. FHFA releases report on progress of Fannie/Freddie Conservatorships in advancing access … Continue reading →

March 18, 2015

Reiss on Foreign Buyers in NYC

MainStreet.com quoted me in Foreign Buyers Driving Up Rental Prices Impacts New York Residents. The story opens, Emir Bahadir, a native of Turkey, purchased two apartments in Manhattan for the purpose of renting them out. The 24-year-old paid a total of … Continue reading →

March 11, 2015

Housing Affordability Across The Globe

The 11th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2015 has been released. The survey provides ratings for metropolitan markets in Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S. There are some interesting global trends: Historically, … Continue reading →