Day: November 13, 2024

Bay Ridge residents are coming together to support the family of Yazan Alsaras, a beloved mail carrier who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month at the age of 39. Known for his unwavering work ethic and deep commitment to his community, Alsaras left behind a wife and a young child facing a daunting loss.

Neighbors and community members remember Alsaras as much more than a postal worker. According to an online fundraising campaign set up in his honor, he was “a friend, a compassionate neighbor, and a bright presence in the lives of his customers.” He formed lasting connections with everyone he encountered, from customers to coworkers, the fundraiser says, infusing warmth and kindness into his daily interactions.

Myrna Torres, a resident who has spearheaded efforts to raise awareness about Alsaras’ impact, shared her heartfelt memories on social media.

“Yazan was willing to go the extra mile,” she told Brooklyn Paper, remembering when he helped her track down a misplaced package. “He was kind — I cannot even describe it in words. When you looked into his eyes, you knew he was honest, cared for his job, had a strong work ethic, and was incredibly personable.”

DESPITE THEIR CONTRACTS WITH NYC being registered on-time for Fiscal Year 2025, none of the city’s top nonprofit legal service.

The post ‘On brink of collapse’ — NYC hasn’t paid its nonprofit legal providers for 5 months appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

The City Council on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to free New York renters from having to pay costly real estate broker fees — passing legislation that will make the party who hires a listing agent responsible for footing the bill.

The legislation passed by a veto-proof majority of 42 to 8 — with the “no” votes coming from Republicans and conservative Democrats. While Mayor Eric Adams has not said whether he intends to sign the bill, he vented concerns about it during a Tuesday news conference.

Proponents of the FARE (Fairness in Apartment Rentals) Act, as the bill is called, say it will remove a significant financial hurdle to New Yorkers being able to afford apartments because at present, renters are often on the hook for paying broker fees. The legislation would effectively mandate that if a landlord is hiring a broker, as they do in many cases, they will have to pay the fee.

Supporters say broker fees — which can cost an average of 15% of a tenant’s monthly rent — represent a substantial upfront cost that can be a barrier to apartment renters.

At a City Hall press conference prior to the vote, Council Member Chi Ossé (Brooklyn-D), the bill’s prime sponsor, said the legislation would relieve tenants of having to foot the bill for brokers they often did not hire.

“In too many millions of cases across our city and decades of history, tenants have been forced to hand over thousands of dollars in fees to brokers they never hired nor wanted. The harm of this practice cannot be overstated,” Ossé said. “Today is a win for the people of New York as we make official what has long been common sense: you should get what you pay for and pay for what you get.”

The city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection would enforce the legislation, according to the council. Those who violate its terms would be subject to fines that could reach $2,000.

The council passed the measure as the city is experiencing an acute affordable housing crisis. This crisis has caused rents to soar, with only 1.4% of rental units were available last year.

Upper Manhattan Council Member Shaun Abreu (D), another key sponsor of the bill, called the legislation ” seismic.”

“For many of us, it’s gonna make all the difference for our families,” Abreu said. “It’s gonna be the difference between being able to have an apartment or not being able to have an apartment.”

The council member said that in his district, many renters have to cough up $12,000 to $15,000 just to rent an apartment. That sum includes first month’s rent, a security deposit and a broker fee.

On the other hand, real estate industry leaders charge the bill would raise rather than lower costs for renters. They argue that in order to offset the cost of paying for brokers themselves, landlords will bake the cost into the montly rent. Therefore, they argued, tenants would end up paying more every month for the duration of their lease instead of a one-time fee.

Real estate industry leaders also contend that renters currently have the freedom to choose between apartment listings that come with broker fees and those that do not; the legislation would, they say, remove that choice.

Far-right Council Member Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) railed against the bill before voting against it. In addition to increasing rents, she argued it would hurt small businesspeople — meaning real estate agents — and force thousands of units to go unadvertised.

“I sincerely hope that the real estate industry sues to have this law stopped,” she said.

Adams echoed some of the same arguments on Tuesday. While he said he agrees with the bill’s intent, he believes it could have unintended consequences that will hurt real estate brokers and renters.

“Some of the ideals collide with the reality of the operationalizing implementation,” Adams said on Tuesday. “We got to get it right, make sure that we reach the goals that we’re looking for, and at the same time don’t hurt small property owners and try to get some relief to some of those who are trying to live in the city … I think the bill has the right intention, but sometimes good intentions do not get the results you’re looking for.”

However, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said she was surprised to hear the mayor airing concerns about the bill considering his office was involved in crafting it.

“We worked together with the administration on this bill, and I can’t interpret what the mayor is saying, but the administration was a part of the negotiations on this bill,” the speaker said. “They raised no major issues, and I haven’t heard from the mayor personally on it.”

NYC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. is hosting an information and feedback session on the massive Brooklyn Marine Terminal Project.

The post Brooklyn Marine Terminal info session in Red Hook, on Wednesday, Nov. 13 appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

NYC RESIDENTS HAVE UNTIL FRIDAY, Nov. 15, to comment on the city’s proposed change to the Fair Fares program.

The post Hearing Friday about increasing eligibility for half-priced MetroCards appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.