Comments on: Vito Lopez’s Grab to Retain Power Intensifies

By: augsept09

augsept09 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:58:08 +0000

Jeremy – do you even know what rent stabilization consists of? If you did, you’ll notice that Lopez’s proposal is much more moderate than you make it out to be. And with talk of the STAR exemption being scrapped, perhaps Lopez’s proposal is something that should be given more serious attention, rather than a personal attack. However, numerous studies have shown that rent stabilization really doesn’t work to preserve low income tenancy (that’s not even its aim), and New York has enough loopholes in the rent stab regulations to make the whole process something of a joke. Further, it is truly wishful thinking to even imagine REBNY’s or RGB’s assembly constituency even remotely considering Lopez’s bill, which leads credence to your argument that Lopez is baiting his constituency. Although, if you studied your history, you’d know that all citizens of Bushwick in general, and seniors in particular, are fully justified in praising Lopez – his contributions to the community, and ot the City as a whole, are truly exemplary, not withstanding his often unsavory tactics (i.e. opening WB for gentrification, appointment scandals).

By: mopar

mopar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:41:16 +0000

Rent stabilization makes a huge difference to senior citizens who don’t own their own places (and aren’t wealthy). They can stay in the area where they know people and can get the help and care they need.

I have known several retired people who rent in areas where rents have skyrocketed. One of them worked at a nursery school well into her 80s (despite frail health) and paid 75 percent of her income in rent for ten years until she was able to get into a one-room apartment provided by the government. She barely had enough money for groceries.

As long as rents keep pace with inflation, can increase freely when the tenant changes, and taxes do not go up (all of this is the case in San Francisco but not New York), rent control for the elderly is not a hardship for the landlord, since the apartment rents at market rate after the mortgage is created — so won’t be less than the mortgage can support. In other words, if I buy a building tomorrow and rent it out and after that the rents increase 1 to 5 percent or so a year, I will still be able to make my mortgage payment.

By: Lars

Lars — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:02:37 +0000

So, are we sure that homeowners with a house/building/etc with three units can actually afford to have an elderly person live below-market at their property? Think about it, these aren’t huge multi-apartment properties we’re talking about here..

I’d think the net-effect of that legislation (if it passed) would be that elderly individuals would find it even harder to find a place to live, especially at smaller residences.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:35:10 +0000

Pete, except in extreme cases, everyone can afford housing. It may not be in every fabulous place they WANT it to be, but there is housing, and much of it is quite affordable even for the poor. In fact, it can only be thus — housing is a product and it could only be produced if people can pay for it. Unless you’re now going to claim that most people are homeless, and then I’ll have to go *plonk*

All of this is beside the point that making housing free for everyone is impossible. Things have to be paid for by someone, and unless you’re going to enlist slave labor to manufacture materials and build housing for all of us, you should just put the very idea out of your mind.

By: pete

pete — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:08:58 +0000

@andrew

your hypothetical doesn’t apply because your uninhabited apartments don’t have senior citizens living in them.

@ jimmy legs

why don’t we make housing free for everyone? you really think housing should be denied someone because they can’t afford it?

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:00:49 +0000

Well, Andrew, of course you’ll do the rational thing and not rent to seniors. Unintended consequences, anyone?

Ooh, JL, I wanna pony!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:55:31 +0000

What the fuck, so I just bought a bunch of crappy three family houses and fixed them up into livable condition so I can subsidize someone else’s living expenses until they die? Oh yeah that’s right, I just do all this for fun. Cheers!

By: Jimmy Legs

Jimmy Legs — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:41:37 +0000

while we’re at it, why not make housing free for everyone! plus a pony.

By: pete

pete — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:23:00 +0000

i disagree too. i think rent stabilization is important, especially anticipating a rapid east williamsburg style gentrification of the area and the money signs that are lighting up in landlords’/real estate developers’ eyes. and extending it to three unit dwellings makes perfect sense as that tends to be the size of a large percentage of the dwellings in bushwick, especially the further east you go. the only thing i would disagree with is that it only applies to senior citizens. i would like to see it extended to families with children as well, for whom being displaced by outlandish rents can be as debilitating or more so.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:28:12 +0000

aj: I don’t need to be professional because I am not professional. I can say whatever the fuck I want and if you don’t like it, you can choose to not read it. But you’re right, nobody ever accused me of being sensitive. I don’t have any idea why Vito being ELECTED makes him above reproach — if anything, it should expose him to scrutiny. Being elected doesn’t make someone magical or royal.

And I laugh at the idea that one man — especially this one — single-handedly repopulated Bushwick. How ridiculous.

Marysia: yes, it is a pain to move, even for young people. It must really suck when you’re older. None of this has anything to do with whether or not certain laws should be passed granting old people rights — especially after they already live there under a different regulatory regime — in someone else’s property. Laws in a modern country shouldn’t be passed as a salve for hurt feelings or to avoid inconvenience for a certain group.

I advocate a reasonable amount of help for all people who are in a jam, but the way it’s gone about in this city is wrong.