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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has reached a deal with developers and union construction officials to revive the 421-a program. The program expired in January. It grants cuts in property taxes to developers who set aside subsidized apartments for low-, moderate-, and middle-income families or individuals in their otherwise luxury projects. It is a city program governed by state legislation.

Mayor Bill de Blasio recently signed legislation that will expedite approval of demolition and construction work performed by city-procured contractors under the Build it Back program, which aims to rebuild communities and homes devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

Two bills, Int. 1366 and Int. 1359, were recently introduced in the City Council by the chamber’s housing committee chair, Jumaane Williams, and Stephen Levin. The first bill would require HPD to audit a certain number of buildings receiving benefits under section 421-a of the real property tax law annually to determine whether such buildings are in compliance with applicable rent registration requirements.

As a response to two deadly gas explosions that occurred in February 2016 in the East Village and March 2014 in East Harlem, the City Council recently passed a package of bills to tighten gas safety rules at city buildings.

Airbnb is trying to counter the lobbying force of its opponents in the hotel and real estate industries by organizing its 46,000 New York users. Airbnb is pushing back against the Share Better coalition, which includes many city and state politicians, housing groups, and the New York Hotel Trades Council union, and has repeatedly accused Airbnb of reducing the city’s supply of housing. Share Better was among the groups that supported a state bill that levies fines...

The City Council recently held a hearing on a bill, known as 214-a, that would make New York City the first jurisdiction in the country to guarantee lawyers for any low-income residents facing eviction. Unlike defendants in criminal cases, individuals who cannot afford an attorney in civil proceedings, such as Housing Court cases, are not entitled to state-provided counsel. The hearing was held more than two years after the legislation was first proposed. Under the meas...

Last year, NYC’s buildings phased out the dirtiest type of heating oil. And, on Sept. 28, the City Council passed Intro 642, a bill requiring buildings to use cleaner biodiesel blends for heating oil. Biodiesel is a clean-burning and renewable diesel replacement fuel that is produced from multiple resources like animal fats, soybean oil, and recycled cooking oil. Biodiesel is the first fuel that was commercially produced across the U.S.

The federal government recently reported that median household incomes jumped by 5.2 percent in 2015, the largest gain on record, meaning the typical American family got a raise for the first time in seven years. In New York City, the median household income rose by 5.1 percent, to $55,752.

Following a report that found that over half of Airbnb listings in New York City were illegal, Airbnb has released its own numbers. The report was issued by Housing Conservation Coordinators and MFY Legal Services. It found that 55 percent or almost 30,000 of the more than 51,000 Airbnb listings are for the entire apartment in apparent violation of New York State law and 30 percent were rented for over a third of the year.

The DOB is rolling out a new $29.6 million computer system this summer that will replace an antiquated mainframe that still relies on paper to process all construction permits, safety inspections, and complaints. The new system is called DOB Now, and its purpose is to streamline and digitize nearly every filing. It will replace the paper-dependent Building Information System, which has been in use since 1989 and has been upgraded erratically over the years.