Tag: journalism

Illegal Evictions Are Rising Across The State, But Landlords Rarely Face Consequences

by Colin

New York Focus, October 21, 2021 Published in partnership with City & State. Tamel Anderson thought he had finally found himself an apartment in a nice part of town. This spring, he moved into a place on Albany’s Ten Broeck Street, just a few blocks from downtown. It was a basement apartment, and overpriced, Anderson … Continue reading Illegal Evictions Are Rising Across The State, But Landlords Rarely Face Consequences

Paris shows how to make public housing greener and more habitable at the same time

by Colin

Grist, September 29, 2021 American housing authorities may soon see an influx of federal funding. Paris offers lessons in how to spend it. When U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman visited his childhood home in Harlem’s East River Houses last winter, he was struck by a piece of graffiti at the entrance. The tag read, simply, “Help.”  … Continue reading Paris shows how to make public housing greener and more habitable at the same time

Inside New York’s Messy Push to Clean Up Concrete

by Colin

New York Focus, September 9, 2021 If concrete production were a country, it would be the world’s third largest carbon emitter. New York legislators want to clean it up. Published in partnership with Next City. For climate activists, New York’s 2021 legislative session was a bitter disappointment. Democrats failed to pass any major new climate laws, … Continue reading Inside New York’s Messy Push to Clean Up Concrete

Albany Passes ‘Good Cause Eviction,’ In a First for New York

by Colin

New York Focus, July 21, 2021 On Monday, Albany became the first municipality in New York to pass “good cause” eviction protections, which would bar landlords from evicting tenants or increasing rents more than 5 percent without justification. Despite an extensive opposition campaign from real estate groups, nine of the fifteen members of Albany’s Common … Continue reading Albany Passes ‘Good Cause Eviction,’ In a First for New York

A Wave of Upstate Cities Could Ban Eviction Without “Good Cause”

by Colin

New York Focus, July 16, 2021 In June 2019, following a wave of progressive election victories and a months-long campaign by housing rights organizers, New York State passed its biggest expansion of tenant protections in decades. The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act closed key loopholes in New York’s rent stabilization laws and extended them … Continue reading A Wave of Upstate Cities Could Ban Eviction Without “Good Cause”

How a Tenant Revolt Sank NYCHA’s Biggest Overhaul Plan in Years

by Colin

New York Focus, June 4, 2021 With a week left in the legislative session, New York lawmakers shelved a plan that aimed to revamp 25,000 NYCHA apartments. Published in partnership with Gotham Gazette. On May 21, with just ten working days to go in this year’s session, New York lawmakers added a major item to … Continue reading How a Tenant Revolt Sank NYCHA’s Biggest Overhaul Plan in Years

After the Coal Rush

by Colin

Dissent, April 26, 2021 In Montceau-les-Mines, a French town once dependent on coal mining, there was no just transition from fossil fuels. Once a left-leaning industrial hub, Montceau today is an open field for the far right. If there’s one part of the world that’s synonymous with wine, it’s the region of Burgundy, in east-central … Continue reading After the Coal Rush

The secret ingredient in Paris’ green public housing

by Colin

Grist, March 30, 2021 How cannabis can be part of an affordable housing future — not just one for eco-conscious elites. Winter in Paris is notoriously clammy, and this winter was no exception. But Gregory Ferembach didn’t need to turn on his heat much. One reason? The walls in his public housing building are lined … Continue reading The secret ingredient in Paris’ green public housing

Will Rental Vouchers to Prevent Homelessness Make the State Budget?

by Colin

New York Focus, March 29, 2021 The legislature is pushing for a statewide rental assistance program that advocates say would be one the largest efforts to combat homelessness in recent memory. After more than five years living in New York City’s homeless shelter system, Milton Perez has one goal: “to get the hell out.”  The … Continue reading Will Rental Vouchers to Prevent Homelessness Make the State Budget?

New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail could become a renewable energy hub

by Colin

France 24, February 12, 2021 It’s long been one of the United States’ most infamous jails. Now Rikers Island looks set to become a renewable energy hub, a plan for which New York City environmental justice organizers have campaigned since the closure of the jail complex was announced in 2019. For many Americans, the name … Continue reading New York’s notorious Rikers Island jail could become a renewable energy hub