Tag Archives: housing

Realtors Group Slashes Commissions, Settles Lawsuits

The New York Times reports: American homeowners could see a significant drop in the cost of selling their homes after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal that will eliminate a bedrock of the industry, the standard 6 percent sales commission. The National Association of Realtors, a powerful organization that has set the guidelines for home sales …

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Housing Costs Make FL Nation’s “Inflation Hotspot”

CNN reports: Florida is America’s inflation hotspot because of a persistent problem with sky-high housing costs. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area has the highest inflation rate of metro areas with more than 2.5 million residents, with a 9% inflation rate for the 12 months ended in April. That’s more than double the national average of 4%, according to data …

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New York City Bans Height And Weight Discrimination

Gothamist reports: New York City is set to become the largest municipality to ban discrimination against someone because of a number on the scale. On Thursday, the City Council was poised to pass a measure that prohibits bias against a person because of their weight – or height – in employment, housing and other public accommodations. “People with different body …

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NYC Mayor Floats Allowing Windowless Bedrooms

Gothamist reports: Mayor Eric Adams opened a new window into his vision for building New York City out of the current housing crisis, with a riff on “dormitory” style accommodations generating a fair amount of backlash from fellow New Yorkers. During a conversation on Monday, Adams said he wants to “do a real examination” of the laws that require windows …

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NYC Plan Would Convert Empty Offices To Apartments

Gothamist reports: Mayor Eric Adams on Monday released details of a plan to turn empty offices into brand new apartments to help relieve New York City’s affordable housing crunch. Adams’ office conversion blueprint includes specific proposals to ease zoning restrictions and offer tax breaks to property owners. Remote work has drastically reduced the use of office space throughout New York …

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NY Gov Signs Bill To Convert Hotels Into Apartments

The New York Daily News reports: Gov. Hochul signed a bill Tuesday that paves the way for underutilized hotels in the city to be converted into apartments, giving a boost to Mayor Adams who has characterized the legislation as a critical tool for tackling New York’s housing crisis. The bill — which Adams pushed state lawmakers to pass for weeks …

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KS Town Leaders Ban “Adult Co-Living” Arrangements

The Kansas City Star reports: On Monday, a Johnson County city unanimously voted to ban a living arrangement aimed at helping tenants decrease the amount of rent they pay. The Shawnee City Council voted 8-0 to ban co-living, which has gained popularity in recent years as rent and home prices have soared. The new ordinance defines a co-living group as …

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NY Extends Evictions Moratorium Through Jan 2022

Gothamist reports: New York state’s lawmakers voted, once again, to extend a residential and commercial eviction moratorium until January 15th, 2022, with changes to account for two Supreme Court decisions that blocked the state’s program and the larger federal moratorium. Governor Kathy Hochul, who convened a special session of the state legislature Wednesday to vote on the extension, is expected …

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NY Gov Unveils Deal To Extend Evictions Moratorium

The New York Daily News reports: Gov. Hochul announced late Tuesday that she’s summoning legislators for a rare special session to extend New York’s expiring eviction moratorium and allocate more financial relief for renters in a bid to stave off an avalanche of evictions at a time when the coronavirus is resurging in the state. The special session, set for …

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New York To Consider Extending Evictions Moratorium

Gothamist reports: New York State lawmakers are expected to reconvene in-person in Albany for a rare special session Wednesday to extend the eviction moratorium through next January, while Governor Kathy Hochul attempts to speed up payment of more than $2 billion in federal rent relief funds to tenants in need. There are other pressing but thorny issues Hochul had said …

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Supreme Court Lifts CDC’s Moratorium On Evictions

The Associated Press reports: The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court’s action late Thursday ends protections for roughly 3.5 million people in the United States who said they faced eviction in the …

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Appeals Court Rejects Bid To Lift Evictions Moratorium

Reuters reports: A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected a bid by groups representing landlords to halt the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s eviction moratorium. In a written order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said it would allow the residential eviction ban to remain in place while litigation over its legality unfolds. …

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Another “Unsafe” Miami Condo Building Evacuated

Miami’s NBC News affiliate reports: A condominium in Miami is being evacuated Monday after officials deemed it an unsafe structure. An evacuation noticed was posted at the entrance of the building at 5050 NW 7th Street. Hundreds of residents from 137 units had only hours to leave, according to a city official. “We have a lot of elderly owners here …

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Landlords Sue To Block CDC’s Eviction Moratorium

The Washington Post reports: Only one day after the Biden administration issued a new policy protecting renters from eviction, a series of real estate and landlord groups is trying to invalidate it — setting up another legal showdown over a moratorium that Democrats say is essential to keeping Americans in their homes. The petition arrived Wednesday from groups including the …

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CDC Order Extends Ban On Evictions Until October 3rd

Via press release from the CDC: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky today signed an order determining the evictions of tenants for failure to make rent or housing payments could be detrimental to public health control measures to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This order will expire on October 3, 2021 and applies in United States …

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White House To Announce Limits On Housing Evictions

The Washington Post reports: The Biden administration is expected to announce a new action to limit housing evictions, moving swiftly after intense pressure from liberal House Democrats, according to three people aware of the matter. The exact details of the measure were not clear, the people said. The congressional pressure campaign intensified in recent days after a national eviction moratorium …

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Trump Judge Overturns National Evictions Moratorium

Newsweek reports: A federal judge has vacated a nationwide eviction moratorium put in place by the CDC to aid millions of renters who are struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, ruled Wednesday that the CDC overstepped its authority by extending the moratorium. The temporary hold on evictions …

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New IA Law Lets Landlords Refuse Section 8 Vouchers

The Des Moines Register reports: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a law ensuring landlords can turn away renters who receive assistance through the federal housing choice voucher program. The new law will remove cities’ and counties’ ability to prevent landlords from taking such action. Reynolds’ signature, which her office announced Friday without comment, comes after new U.S. Secretary of …

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Lawmakers Seek To Extend NY Eviction Moratorium

Gothamist reports: Nearly one week before the state’s eviction moratorium is set to expire, two state lawmakers have introduced a bill to extend the deadline to August 31st, aiming to provide further relief to New Yorkers who continue struggling to pay rent. “This will keep people from being thrown out onto the streets,” Assemblymember Jeff Dinowitz, a sponsor of the …

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HUD To Reinstate Fair Housing Rules Gutted By Trump

The Washington Post reports: Housing Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Tuesday moved to reinstate fair housing regulations that had been gutted under President Donald Trump, in one of the most tangible steps that the Biden administration has taken to address systemic racism. The effort comes less than three months after Biden signed executive orders aimed at increasing racial equity across …

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