Housing Lottery Launches For 3745 Riverdale Avenue In Riverdale, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 3745 Riverdale Avenue, an 18-story mixed-use building in Riverdale, The Bronx. Designed by Newman Design Group and developed by Stagg Group, the structure yields 89 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 27 units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $92,572 to $198,250.

Amenities include pet-friendly policies, assigned parking spaces, gym, elevator, concierge, and outdoor terrace. Residences come with washers and dryers, air conditioning, intercoms, name-brand countertops and finishes, energy-efficient appliances, and dishwashers. Tenants are responsible for electricity. 

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are six studios with a monthly rent of $2,700 for incomes ranging from $92,572 to $146,900; seven one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,900 for incomes ranging from $99,429 to $165,230; and 14 two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $3,600 for incomes ranging from $123,429 to $198,250.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than May 27, 2024.

Attorney General James Secures Over $1.9 Million from Nissan Dealers that Cheated New Yorkers

 

Five Dealers in New York City and on Long Island Required to Refund More Than 1,100 Consumers Over $1.6 Million, Pay $340,000 Penalty, and Reform Their Business Practices

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced settlements worth more than $1.9 million with five Nissan car dealerships in New York City and on Long Island for overcharging over a thousand New Yorkers who wanted to purchase their leased vehicles at the end of their lease term. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that the dealerships added junk fees or falsified the price of vehicles between 2020 and 2023. The agreements require the dealerships to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to more than 1,100 consumers and a civil penalty of $340,000.

“Ignoring agreements and adding bogus fees harms New York consumers, and that is something my office won’t allow to go unchallenged,” said Attorney General James. “These car dealerships lined their pockets at the expense of hardworking New Yorkers who were trying to have a reliable car to get to work, take their children to school, run errands, and live their daily lives. Our investigation and settlement put money back into New Yorkers’ pockets and send a clear message that lying to New Yorkers and manipulating costs with shady tactics will not be tolerated.” 

The OAG opened an investigation into five Nissan dealerships—Baron Nissan on Long Island, Nissan of Westbury on Long Island, Nissan of Kings in Brooklyn, Nissan of Queens, and Nissan of Staten Island—after consumers reported they were being overcharged and given inaccurate receipts. The investigation found that each of these consumers leased their Nissan cars under an agreement that gave them the option to purchase the vehicle for a set amount after the lease term ended. But when the consumers returned to the dealerships when their leases were up to buy their car, the dealerships substantially overcharged them. The dealers either added miscellaneous “dealership fees” or “administrative fees,” or inflated the vehicle’s price on the invoice given to the consumer. In some instances, customers were overcharged as much as $7,000 on an $18,000 vehicle. 

The OAG investigation also revealed that the dealerships provided customers with deceptive invoices. These included misrepresenting illegal upcharges as government fees, such as a $37 state inspection fee that dealers charged as $300, and a $50 title fee dealers charged as $500. New York law guarantees every consumer the right to a complete and accurate receipt for every car sale, yet thousands of examined invoices failed that basic test.

Under the agreements announced today: 

• Baron Nissan will pay $204,656.89 to 186 overcharged consumers and a $51,190 penalty. 
• Nissan of Kings will pay $437,560.86 to 420 overcharged consumers and a $147,000 penalty. 
• Nissan of Queens will pay $608,347.83 to 276 overcharged consumers and a $69,757 penalty. 
• Nissan of Staten Island will pay $282,255.61 to 184 overcharged consumers and a $55,200 penalty.
• Nissan of Westbury will pay $102,636.07 to 72 overcharged consumers and a $19,440 penalty. 

The penalties paid by each dealership vary based on the number of consumers overcharged and the pervasiveness and severity of the overcharging. The dealers have also agreed to audit all deals between the start of the investigation and the present, and will provide additional refunds to overcharged consumers identified in that audit.

Consumers entitled to restitution do not need to take any action to receive the payment and the dealerships have already begun paying restitution through mailed checks in the full amount of the overcharge. The dealerships have also agreed to reform their invoicing practices to ensure all lease buyout customers are neither overcharged nor provided with inaccurate receipts.

Attorney General James asks any consumers who may have been affected by deceptive or fraudulent lease buyout practices to file a consumer complaint online.

Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul on Ongoing Budget Negotiations

 

"For weeks, I have been negotiating with the Legislature to craft a budget that makes record investments for New Yorkers while putting the State on a fiscally stable path into the future. While I believe a final agreement is within reach, I recognize many New Yorkers would like to spend the holiday weekend with family and loved ones. For that reason, I will be delivering a bill to the Legislature to temporarily extend the budget deadline until April 4th. Working together, I am confident we can deliver a budget that increases the housing supply, invests in schools and health care, and makes New York safer for all."

ADAMS ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS INITIATIVE TO CREATE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AFFORDABLE HOMES IN HIGH-DEMAND AREAS, CONTINUES URGENT CALL FOR ACTION TO ADDRESS HOUSING CRISIS

 

New Initiative Part of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity”

 

City Releases Rezoning Lookback Reports to Show Costs of Zoning Restrictions in Low-Density Neighborhoods

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today unveiled a new initiative as part of his administration’s historic “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal that will create tens of thousands of affordable homes in areas of the city that many working-class New Yorkers are unable to afford. An outdated restriction on new residential construction — also known as the floor-to-area-ratio (FAR) cap — currently limits the number of new homes that can be built in certain high-demand areas of the city, such as Midtown Manhattan. As state lawmakers consider lifting the FAR cap, the Adams administration is proposing a new zoning tool to allow for even more density of residential buildings while simultaneously mandating the creation of permanently affordable housing across the city.

 

“New Yorkers need relief from the housing and affordability crisis, and they need it now,” said Mayor Adams. “As someone who grew up on the edge of homelessness, I know firsthand that safe, secure, and affordable housing is critical to the prosperity of any working-class New Yorker. As we announce new, bold initiatives, I am urging lawmakers at every level of government to join us in our efforts to meet this moment and deliver homes that New Yorkers need and deserve.”  

 

“Our housing crisis has been so long in the making, and the severity of our crisis is now so dire, that to change the trajectory of this problem, we need to do everything, everywhere, all at once,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “By proposing brand new residential districts that require permanently affordable homes, we are demonstrating, yet again, that New York City will continue to take bold action to meet the moment and we call on our partners across all levels of government to do the same.” 

 

“The outdated FAR cap prevents affordable housing from being built where it’s needed most, particularly in central areas of Manhattan with great access to transit, jobs, and amenities. By creating new high-density, residential zoning districts with Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, New York City will be ready to act as soon as Albany lifts this cap,” said New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick. “Additionally, our new rezoning lookback reports are a timely reminder that we must tackle our housing crisis with an equitable, city-wide approach, and that’s exactly what these new zoning districts will help us do.”

 

“A citywide housing crisis requires a citywide approach, and the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’s’ commonsense solutions will address the root causes of rising housing costs by adding permanently affordable housing opportunities through zoning,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “With a record low vacancy rate, now is the time for the bold action we need to address the historically uneven approach to housing production and create housing in every neighborhood across the city.”

 

“Addressing the affordability challenges our city is faced with requires action from every level of government and the ability to build more housing in every neighborhood of the five boroughs” said Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “Ensuring we are ready to move on pending state action to lift the FAR cap, along with other bold ideas in our ‘City of Yes for a Housing Opportunity’ proposal, means we’ll be a step closer to delivering permanently affordable homes in neighborhoods that have historically been inaccessible for many New Yorkers.”

 

The Adams administration’s ambitious proposal needs state lawmakers to lift the FAR cap in order to be enacted. Once the cap is lifted, pending City Council approval of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, new residential projects undergoing a rezoning could benefit from this new tool — which would enable residential projects to build up to 15 or 18 times their lot size — and build significantly more housing on their site. Under the administration’s proposal, new housing projects will be required to build permanently affordable housing through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing. Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requires that 20 percent to 30 percent of the housing in a development is affordable to New Yorkers earning an average of 40 percent to 80 percent of the area median income.

 

Underscoring the urgent need for new tools to spur the creation of new housing, DCP today also released a set of “rezoning lookback” reports, examining 15 neighborhood rezonings that were enacted in 2009 and how zoning changes impacted local housing production. The reports show that when policymakers enacted more restrictive zoning in low-density neighborhoods, housing production, effectively, stopped, and that new housing productions was concentrated in select areas of the city. The reports shed new light on the need to build more affordable housing across the five boroughs.

 

In addition to calling for the state to lift the FAR cap, the administration has continued to call for lawmakers in Albany to create new tools this legislative session to help the city build more affordable housing, including passing a new affordable housing tax incentive, a tax incentive to turn empty office buildings into affordable homes, and a pathway to make basement and cellar apartments safe and legal.

 

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the most pro-housing set of zoning changes in New York’s history. These changes includes lifting arbitrary and costly parking mandates for new residential construction; the Universal Affordability Preference, a bonus allowing roughly 20 percent more housing in developments, so long as the additional homes are affordable; transit-oriented development and Town Center zoning, which would allow three-to-five story apartment buildings to be built near transit and along commercial corridors; and allowing homeowners to add accessory homes like backyard cottages.

 

DCP is currently undertaking environmental review on the proposal and will refer it for public review by community boards and borough presidents later this spring. It is anticipated to come before the CPC and the New York City Council for a vote before the end of the year.

 

To accelerate housing production and deliver relief to New Yorkers, the Adams administration has advanced a number of creative solutions, including laying out an office conversion accelerator to advance conversions more quickly; unveiling new proposed rules to streamline approvals for sustainable housing; and debuting several pilot programs to help fund the creation of accessory dwelling units, help move New Yorkers out of shelters and into renovated apartments, and help fuel mixed-income developments in neighborhoods across the city; among other innovative efforts.

 

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the third of the Adams administration’s three “City of Yes” initiatives to update New York City’s zoning laws for a more sustainable, prosperous, and affordable city. The first — “City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality”— was adopted by the City Council in December. The second — “City of Yes for Economic Opportunity” was approved by the CPC on March 6 and is being considered by the City Council.

 

Man Sentenced for $87M Healthcare Fraud Kickback Conspiracy

 

An owner of a durable medical equipment (DME) company was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and ordered to forfeit $1.8 million for his participation in a healthcare fraud kickback conspiracy.  

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Sorensen, 53, of Chicago, owned Symed Inc. (Symed), a Chicago DME pharmacy that paid illegal kickbacks to obtain patients to bill to Medicare, TRICARE, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. Between 2015 and 2018, Sorensen illegally bought patient leads from Bernie Perconti, who in turn obtained the leads from others, including Craig O’Neil and Christine Anderson. Sorensen and his co-conspirators also tricked patients into agreeing to receive braces. Many times, patients received braces that they did not need or want, and sometimes received four, five, or six braces. The co-conspirators also repeatedly called and faxed doctors to get them to sign the prescriptions authorizing the braces. In total, Sorensen and his co-conspirators, through Symed, fraudulently billed Medicare $87 million and received $23.6 million.

Perconti, O’Neil, and Anderson each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in October 2019, July 2020, and January 2021, respectively. Perconti and O’Neil are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Anderson was sentenced in April 2022.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Irene Lindow for the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the cases. 

FCI Otisville Inmate Charged With Murdering Fellow Inmate

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that federal inmate DANIEL V. SMITH was charged with the murder of a fellow inmate.  SMITH was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern.

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in court:[1]

On or about October 26, 2021, SMITH murdered Patrick Deck, an inmate at FCI Otisville.

SMITH, 63, was charged with one count of murder in the first degree, which carries a maximum sentence of death.

The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

Governor Hochul Highlights Free Admission to State Parks, Lands, Campgrounds, and Historic Sites for New York State Veterans and Gold Star Families

 

Governor Hochul Signed Legislation to Expand State Parks’ Lifetime Liberty Pass Program and Offer Free Entry for New York State Veterans and Gold Star Families Beginning on April 1, 2024

Initiative Part of the Governor’s Commitment to Provide Resources and Support to Veterans and Their Families

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that beginning on Monday, April 1, 2024, New York State veterans and Gold Star Families will have free access to New York State parks, campgrounds, day use areas, historic sites, and recreation areas through the expansion of the Lifetime Liberty Pass Program. Governor Hochul signed a package of legislation in November 2023 to support veterans and their families, which included this initiative.

“Our veterans have made endless sacrifices and New York is always looking for ways we can say thank you for keeping our country safe,” Governor Hochul said. “Nature heals and with the expansion of our Lifetime Liberty Pass Program, we’re ensuring veterans and their families can easily visit our world-class destinations here in New York.”

Under the legislation signed by Governor Hochul, the Lifetime Liberty Pass Program will now be extended to include all Veterans and certain Gold Star Family members who are residents of New York State. A disability rating is no longer required. The benefits include:

• Free vehicle entry to State Parks and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)-operated campgrounds and day use areas, as well as state boat launch sites, historic sites, arboretums, and park preserves.
• Free greens fees at State Park-operated golf courses.
• Free swimming pool entrance at pools operated by State Parks.
• Discounted campsite and cabin rentals at State Parks- and DEC-operated campgrounds. The discount will be applied at the time of campground check-in.

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Pro Tempore Randy Simons said, "We are incredibly grateful to our Veterans for their dedication and service and are excited to provide Veteran communities more opportunities to better connect with state parks, historic sites and recreation areas and facilitate a lifelong love of the outdoors.”

Veterans can access these benefits by presenting a NY State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) photo document (ID) with Veteran status designation to employees at all staffed facilities. Veterans who do not have this designation on your ID can visit the NYS DMV website for more information or apply for the free Lifetime Liberty Pass to ensure seamless entry.

New York State Gold Star Parents, Spouses or Children should apply for the free Lifetime Liberty Pass to ensure entry at all park locations. The application process for the Lifetime Liberty Pass will open on April 1, 2024.

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Percentage of NYers With Mental Illness Rose As Available Psychiatric Beds Declined

 

State's Efforts to Increase Number of Beds Have Proceeded Slowly

The mental health needs of New Yorkers have greatly increased, with 21.1% of adults struggling with mental Illness and 5.1% with a severe mental illness in 2021-2022, according to federal data. Between 2013 and 2022, there was a 23% increase in the number of individuals served by the state’s public mental health system, with nearly 900,000 residents utilizing the services. According to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, the rising need for mental health services coincided with a loss of 990 beds, a 10.5% drop in capacity, in inpatient psychiatric facilities statewide between April 2014 and December 2023.

“Increased mental health services are urgently needed to meet the rising demand for care,” DiNapoli said. “With the COVID pandemic behind us, New York must redouble its efforts to restore inpatient psychiatric bed capacity and preserve and expand telehealth services.”

Increase in Mental Health Needs

The prevalence and number of New Yorkers living with any mental illness (AMI) has increased in recent years, according to the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). According to SAMHSA’s data, there were more than 3.2 million adult New Yorkers with AMI in 2021-2022. Incidences of any mental illness were especially high among 18 to 25-year-olds at 30%. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), AMI encompasses all recognized mental illnesses and is defined as a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that can vary in impact, ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate and even severe impairment. The definition does not include developmental and substance use disorders.

The estimated occurrence of serious mental illness (SMI), defined by NIMH as a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities, among New York adults aged 18 and older was nearly 5.1% in 2021-2022, or about 783,000 individuals. For those between 18 and 25 years of age the rate was 8.6%. New York’s rates were less than the national average of 23.1% of adults with AMI and 6% with SMI.

The state public health system has mirrored these trends, with significant increases in individuals served since 2013. OMH attributes the growth to expanded eligibility standards, greater efforts to achieve behavioral health parity, higher demand for treatment services, increased awareness of mental health issues, and efforts to reduce stigma.

Declining Inpatient Psychiatric Beds and Long-term Decline of Inpatient Capacity

In Dec. 2023, there were 3,999 inpatient psychiatric beds in New York City and 4,458 in the rest of the state. OMH’s report from that month indicates the counties with the greatest number of psychiatric inpatient beds were largely downstate. The ratio of beds to population was approximately 1 to 2,084 in New York City and 1 in 2,544 in the rest of the state. There were 20 counties, with a total population of 898,895, that had no psychiatric inpatient beds at all.

The last decade reflects a continuation of a long-term decline in the overall number of inpatient psychiatric beds in New York – particularly in state-operated psychiatric centers – due to policy decisions made decades ago. From April 2014 to Dec. 2023, psychiatric inpatient capacity decreased by 506 beds (11.2%) in New York City and by 484 beds (9.8%) outside of the city. Most of the largest bed reductions occurred downstate – in Suffolk and Rockland counties, as well as in the five boroughs of New York City – in that period.

COVID-19 Impact

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, community hospitals in New York City closed an estimated 20% of their inpatient psychiatric beds to accommodate the need for increased medical capacity, according to OMH. Lockdowns and quarantines, as well as the increasing use of telehealth services, also contributed to decreases in inpatient psychiatric utilization. The expansion of telehealth services in OMH licensed facilities also decreased utilization of hospital psychiatric services during the pandemic, according to OMH officials.

DiNapoli’s report noted the State Fiscal Year 2023-24 Enacted Budget included $1 billion of new funding to support the state's system of mental health care. In January 2023, OMH and the state Department of Health sent a letter to community hospitals directing them to reopen approximately 850 non-operational, licensed inpatient psychiatric beds taken offline during the pandemic. Hospitals were required to reopen the beds by Feb. 10, 2023, or submit a plan to reopen them by April 1, 2023. As of April 17, 2023, only 222 out of 843 off-line beds had returned to operational status. In Dec. 2023, the Executive announced the reopening of a total of nearly 500 psychiatric beds taken offline during the pandemic, but details regarding these beds have not been released publicly. The state also recently increased the Medicaid reimbursement rate – retroactive to April 1, 2022, according to OMH – for inpatient psychiatric beds by 20% to facilitate opening closed acute care community beds.

DiNapoli’s report urged policymakers to continue working with community hospitals to address barriers, commit to expanding the availability, utilization, and effectiveness of telehealth services, and continue efforts to strengthen the overall mental health service structure, including services to youth, stabilizing the mental health workforce and addressing housing insecurity which increases the risk of homelessness and mental health crises.

Report

Mental Health: Inpatient Service Capacity