Tuesday, June 2, 2015

DeBlasio doesn't care much for unions when it comes to affordable housing

From the Observer:

Alicia Glen, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s deputy mayor for housing and economic development, told the City Council today that obligating developers who receive the controversial 421a tax break to pay construction workers prevailing wages could result in 17,000 badly-needed below-market apartments not getting built—and argued that the demand for low-cost housing trumps the call for union jobs.

Ms. Glen told the Council’s Committee on Housing that several independent studies, including those done by Columbia University and the Citizens Budget Commission, showed that mandating real estate interests receiving the tax deduction to pay union rates would result in 30 percent fewer affordable units getting built. This figure, she said, meant “jeopardizing” some 17,000 potential apartments because of higher costs—unacceptable given what she called the city’s “housing emergency.”

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lookks like wilhelm is serious about ot having 2 new york's......he wants 3.

r185 said...

Governing is all about priorities. And, if he had gone the other way the headline on this would have been "DeBlasio doesn't care much for affordable housing when it comes to unions"

Anonymous said...

And the unions don't care about neighborhoods being overrun with bad development. Both de Blasio's and Cuomo's plans are horrible. #stop421a #end421a #421aGoAway

JQ said...

These sociopaths/officials are using fear and feigning dissension to basically approve REBNY's plan to enrich these sudden philanthropic developers and real estate magnates. This is cynical ploy that will not meet the needs of the middle class and working poor who need decent apts. As if they think even setting aside 30% of apts. will be sufficient.

The former Goldman Sachs deputy mayor thinks that scabs and non-citizens are going to build these 80-20's. They better expect a phalanx of giant inflatable rats on Park Row and on rubble strewn lots in LIC, East New York, and the South Bronx soon.

Anonymous said...

I am no fan of the mayor or Cuomo and I do see the point of what r185 said. There is a serious problem in the city and in this country regarding the cost of housing, transportation, food, etc. Whatever decision is made will not be liked by everyone.
It is a damm if you do and a damm if you don't situation.

Anonymous said...

So the government has plenty of fat thumbs to put on the "wage" scale, and the "build housing" scale, and any other scale that you got that needs a reality distortion.

The government should not be "in the business" of setting wages and providing "incentives" for otherwise unprofitable projects to be built.

Who's paying for this "right" to an affordable apartment in New York City? The chumps in the private sector paying taxes for all this government and the government's clients here and those yet to arrive from China, Mexico,Pakistan, etc.

Anonymous said...

Union's only think of themselves
Poor only think about the Master who clothes,feeds,houses them
And there is a lot more of poor WHO VOTE
But dont worry,the unions will be kissing the Blaz Butt and throwing money at him come election time
I don't know who is stupider, the uneducated or the unions.
If Long Island could vote then the Union's would have the Blaz attention but they can't so it is what it is

Anonymous said...

Democrats are anti union now,just wait until they take over the trucking from the teamsters also
Richard Trumpka speaks Spanish witch will ease the New Union Members into the Old White Guys Union and Pension Plans
What the hell,they did it to themselves
Fight for $15,se se puedo 👊

Anonymous said...

Hillary will build one way bridges from Mexico to the US (non union of course) for the cheap ((non union) workers
Hillary said it,maybe its time to believe her.
Unions are like Republicans now IRRELEVANT.

Anonymous said...

Jorge Ramos and Tellamundo want to extend a huge
"Bronx Chear," to the union members upset by Supremo DiBlasios vision of A New And Better America!!
Que the song ,"Coming to America" by Neil Diamond.please.

Anonymous said...

The mayor obviously has some serious medical problems he's trying to hide.
The First Lady, as an understudy, is running her hubby's show.
De Blaz's being a no show and chronic tardiness is a very revealing set of symptoms.


A mayor cannot make a sanitarium out of Gracie Mansion while treating an illness.
NYC needs to be governed properly.

Anonymous said...

That's idiotic. Why should the desire of one group for cheap, subsidized apartments, mean another group, the construction workers, should get the shaft? I'm hating this mayor. He's an idiot.

Middle Villager said...

More affordable housing+ fewer untrained workers=deportation of illegals. Do the math.

Anonymous said...

Mario Cuomo made half the original 1993 WTC recontruction jobs non union to speed it up. Strange new respect that di Blacio has that much backbone.

Anonymous said...

Fat cat developers vs. fat cat union.

Dunno who to be against.

Anonymous said...

When I read all this, one word comes to mind:

INFRASTRUCTURE!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Clue me in, what's wrong with DiBlasio.

Our veteran's and seniors and deserving families will be on the bottom of the lists for this so-called affordable housing. The illegals will get most of the housing.

Now that's a shame.

Anonymous said...

Construction unions vote Republican. They aren't really unions, but cooperatives for finding work and insurance.