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Articles 31 - 60 of 73
Full-Text Articles in Law
Housing First' For The Chronically Homless: Challenges Of A New Service Model, Nestor M. Davidson
Housing First' For The Chronically Homless: Challenges Of A New Service Model, Nestor M. Davidson
Faculty Scholarship
Increasingly in recent years, policymakers have focused their efforts on ending chronic homelessness and, in particular, on individuals grappling with mental illness, substance abuse, and similar challenges. Central to this effort has been the rise of a new model of service provision called Housing First. Housing First reverses the long-standing practice of conditioning housing on compliance with treatment plans or other service requirements, instead providing immediate independent living for chronically homeless individuals with dual or multiple diagnoses and only then making intensive services available. This Commentary reviews this important policy shift and explores some conceptual and practical challenges in moving …
Blighting The Way: Urban Renewal, Economic Development, And The Elusive Definition Of Blight, Colin Gordon
Blighting The Way: Urban Renewal, Economic Development, And The Elusive Definition Of Blight, Colin Gordon
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This article examines the way municipalities have used increasingly broad interpretations of "blight" to compete for state tax increment financing (TIFs) for economic development purposes. It traces the definition of blight in the context of state and federal urban redevelopment programs from the nineteenth century through the Progressive Era to the advent of TIF laws in the 1980s and 90s. It goes on to discuss the how the concept of "blight" has shifted from a condition of substandard housing to a condition of "sub-optimal" local economic development, in part due to intense competition among municipalities for TIFs. The article concludes …
Let Them Rent Cake: George Pataki, Market Ideology, And The Attempt To Dismantle Rent Regulation In New York, Craig Gurian
Let Them Rent Cake: George Pataki, Market Ideology, And The Attempt To Dismantle Rent Regulation In New York, Craig Gurian
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This article examines the ideological and political struggle over rent regulation that was waged by rent regulation opponents in the Spring of 1997. Part I traces the debate as it unfolded in 1997, including the role of legislative leaders, the governor, the press, and anti-regulation advocates. It focuses on the assumptions about the market shared by the various anti-regulation protagonists, and on the factors starkly omitted from their analyses. Part II sets forth the results of the debate, examining the provisions and consequences of the "Rent Regulation Reform Act of 1997," including the legislation passed in 2003 to extend rent …
The Continuing Crisis In Affordable Housing: Systemic Issues Requiring Systemic Solutions, Paulette J. Williams
The Continuing Crisis In Affordable Housing: Systemic Issues Requiring Systemic Solutions, Paulette J. Williams
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This article compares programs designed to provide rental housing and programs designed to promote homeownership and attempts to determine which of the existing programs better promotes economic security among the population both are designed to benefit. Part II presents a framework for a discussion of affordable housing policy issues, outlining the complex environment of affordable housing development, and the multiple interests that need to be involved in developing any coherent policy. Part III gives a short history of public housing policies from 1937 to the end of the twentieth century. Part IV discusses the major rental housing programs, including the …
Housing Gideon: The Right To Counsel In Eviction Cases , Rachel Kleinman
Housing Gideon: The Right To Counsel In Eviction Cases , Rachel Kleinman
Fordham Urban Law Journal
While the legal system recognizes an indigent’s constitutional right to counsel in a criminal trial the same is not true with respect to civil cases. This Comment examines this legal reality by focusing specifically on an indigent’s inability to gain access to counsel within the confines of eviction proceedings. The author lays out the arguments for both those who favor recognizing an indigent’s right to counsel in eviction proceedings and those opposed to recognizing that right. Ultimately, absent an indigent’s access to counsel in these civil cases, their ability to have any sort of meaningful access to justice is seriously …
Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson
Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Article explores relevant social science data and examines how it affects the analysis and understanding of evidence of emotional harm. Part I provides an overview of the current state of emotional harm cases. Part II discusses the issue of bias in the process of reviewing discrimination cases from the perspective of critical race theory and recent social science data. In Part III, this Article examines the cycles of ignorance that have contributed to an under-valuation of emotional harm in housing discrimination litigation. Finally, suggestions are made about how to gather relevant psychological and medical information on the effects of …
Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson
Emotional Harm In Housing Discrimination Cases: A New Look At A Lingering Problem, Victor M. Goode, Conrad A. Johnson
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Article explores relevant social science data and examines how it affects the analysis and understanding of evidence of emotional harm. Part I provides an overview of the current state of emotional harm cases. Part II discusses the issue of bias in the process of reviewing discrimination cases from the perspective of critical race theory and recent social science data. In Part III, this Article examines the cycles of ignorance that have contributed to an under-valuation of emotional harm in housing discrimination litigation. Finally, suggestions are made about how to gather relevant psychological and medical information on the effects of …
Clarifying The Federal Fair Housing Act’S Exemption For Reasonable Occupancy Restrictions, Tim Iglesias
Clarifying The Federal Fair Housing Act’S Exemption For Reasonable Occupancy Restrictions, Tim Iglesias
Fordham Urban Law Journal
The 1988 Fair Housing Act Amendments (FHAA) for “reasonable” governmental occupancy standards contains a deceptively simple “exemption” that has been the subject of interpretation by numerous courts. This article argues that this “exemption” has been misinterpreted by these courts, particularly by the Sixth Circuit in Affordable Housing Advocates v. City of Richmond Heights. The article describes how this misinterpretation undercuts the protection from housing discrimination that the FHAA provides for families, especially families of color. The article details the FHAA’s familial status provision and “reasonable” standard exemption, and goes on to “analyze relevant case law and the legislative history to …
Discriminatory Housing Statements And Section 3604(C): A New Look At The Fair Housing Act's Most Intriguing Provision, Robert G. Schwemm
Discriminatory Housing Statements And Section 3604(C): A New Look At The Fair Housing Act's Most Intriguing Provision, Robert G. Schwemm
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This article gives a new look at section 3604(c) of the Fair Housing Act. Through section 3604(c), the FHA has outlawed biased statements with respect to an even broader range of housing sales and rentals. The three main purposes of section 3604 directly bear on the FHA's ultimate goals of eliminating housing discrimination and achieving residential integration. Under the FHA, discriminatory statements are not only probative of a defendant's illegal intent, but also, by themselves, violate the statute if made "with respect to eh sale or rental of a dwelling." Further, the lack of aggressive enforcement of section 3604(c) cannot …
Outing The Madman: Fair Housing For The Mentally Handicapped And Their Right To Privacy Versus The Landlord's Duty To Warn And Protect, Frederic White
Outing The Madman: Fair Housing For The Mentally Handicapped And Their Right To Privacy Versus The Landlord's Duty To Warn And Protect, Frederic White
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This article examines the serious potential for a clash between two sets of values: (1) the stated values of the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, that persons handicapped within its terms should not be denied access to decent housing on that account, and that mentally handicapped tenants, especially those who may have, but do not necessarily possess, a propensity for violence, have privacy rights; and (2) the landlord’s responsibilities with respect to the safety needs of other tenants. The author addresses a number of policies, including those embodied in federal and state statutes relating to the rights of mentally …
Developments In Housing Law And Reasonable Accommodations For New York City Residents With Disabilities, John P. Herrion
Developments In Housing Law And Reasonable Accommodations For New York City Residents With Disabilities, John P. Herrion
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Essay examines the New York Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of a housing accommodation and provides persons with disabilities the right to request and receive reasonable accommodations from their housing providers. The Essay concludes that the recent interpretation of this law by New York City Commission on Human Rights Law is a move toward protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and removing unnecessary discrimination from their lives.
An Individual Approach To Suburban Racial Discrimination, Paul Boudreaux
An Individual Approach To Suburban Racial Discrimination, Paul Boudreaux
Fordham Urban Law Journal
The traditional model explaining racial discrimination has blamed discrimination by institutional actors in the housing industry and government. The author argues that this model ignores the individual preference factors that contribute to segregation. The replication of segregation in expanding suburban jurisdictions of metropolitan areas and the traditional legal responses are examined, as well as the implications of African American suburban migration. The author questions the adequacy of the traditional model by looking at the individual preference factors of both whites and African Americans that contribute to the replication of segregation in suburbs. The author notes that there is no method …
Shedding Some Light On Lending: The Effect Of Expanded Disclosure Laws On Home Mortgage Marketing, Lending And Discrimination In The New York Metropolitan Area, Richard D. Marsico
Shedding Some Light On Lending: The Effect Of Expanded Disclosure Laws On Home Mortgage Marketing, Lending And Discrimination In The New York Metropolitan Area, Richard D. Marsico
Fordham Urban Law Journal
The amended Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), updated in 1991, required lenders to disclose information regarding the number of applications received, the race and income of applicants, the location of the property for which the loan was sought, and the disposition of each application. This article studies the expanded HMDA's impact on conventional home mortgage lending in the New York City metropolitan area from 1991 until 1998. The author first examines ways to determine whether the disclosure of expanded HDMA data in 1991 influenced private lenders allocation of credit in the New York City metropolitan area. The release of data …
Urban Holism: The Empowerment Zone And Economic Development In Atlanta, Honorable William Campbell
Urban Holism: The Empowerment Zone And Economic Development In Atlanta, Honorable William Campbell
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Article focuses on the 1990s renaissance in Atlanta, a time where the rate of violent crime was at the lowest it had been in years and the population was growing for the first time in thirty years. It focuses on three specific explanations of the renaissance: the holistic approach to development, the Empowerment Zone, the community policing program, and the reinvention of public housing. The holistic approach involves an interplay of both the public and private sectors of the city, with no singular method used to revitalize the inner city communities. The Empowerment Zone, a plan created by President …
Fighting Municipal "Tag-Team": The Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act And Its Use In Obtaining Access To Housing For Persons With Disabilities, Robert L. Schonfeld, Seth P. Stein
Fighting Municipal "Tag-Team": The Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act And Its Use In Obtaining Access To Housing For Persons With Disabilities, Robert L. Schonfeld, Seth P. Stein
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Article examines the impact of the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) on prohibiting housing discrimination against persons on the basis of their disabilities, and analyzes the court decisions interpreting the FHAA on questions of land use to determine whether they are consistent with the stated intentions of the drafters of the Amendments. Part I traces the legislative intent behind the FHAA and, specifically, the sections of the Amendments enjoining housing discrimination against persons with handicaps. Part I also analyzes the court decisions interpreting the Amendments’ requirements as to what facts must be demonstrated to prove discrimination. This Part of …
Homelessness And Substance Abuse: Is Mandatory Treatment The Solution?, Melanie B. Abbott
Homelessness And Substance Abuse: Is Mandatory Treatment The Solution?, Melanie B. Abbott
Fordham Urban Law Journal
For the government to be successful in addressing homelessness, it must focus on the link between homelessness and substance abuse. In New York City and elsewhere, advocates are reluctant to publicize the connection between substance abuse and homelessness. Federal laws and programs that attempt to deal with homelessness, such as welfare, Social Security, federal housing laws, and the McKinney Act and other various federal acts do not provide a comprehensive approach to treatment of those who are both homeless and substance abusers. Because the Supreme Court has held that the Constitution does not provide a right to shelter, advocates have …
Federal Preemption Of Rent Regulation Under Firrea, Eric William Hess
Federal Preemption Of Rent Regulation Under Firrea, Eric William Hess
Fordham Urban Law Journal
After hundreds of savings and loan institutions became insolvent in the 1980s, Congress enacted the Federal Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act, which was designed to provide affordable mortgage financing to low and moderate income individuals, and to dispose of the assets of the failed savings and loan institutions. Among the powers granted by FIRREA to the FDIC was the ability to disaffirm or repudiate leases held by insolvent institutions if those leases are deemed burdensome. In "Resolution Trust Corp. v. Diamond," the United States District Court wrongly held that FIRREA cannot be construed to allow Federal preemption of State …
Shattering The Myth Of Municipal Impotence: The Authority Of Local Government To Create Affordable Housing, John R. Nolon
Shattering The Myth Of Municipal Impotence: The Authority Of Local Government To Create Affordable Housing, John R. Nolon
Fordham Urban Law Journal
In the absence of any guidance from the legislature, local officials, in confronting the problem of affordable housing, look to the courts to define the extent of their responsibility and power. While not providing specific direction, the New York Court of Appeals has clearly outlawed zoning designed to exclude affordable housing. The judiciary has voiced doubts, however, that municipal governments can, through zoning alone, require the development of affordable housing. The view that municipalities lack such power is erroneous. Zoning alone is competent to induce such development. Furthermore, local governments have considerable additional power to induce the creation of such …
Converting Nonpayment To Holdover Summary Proceedings: The New York Experience With Conditional Limitations Based Upon Nonpayment Of Rent, Stephen Ross
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Article examines the development in New York law of both the landlord's right to terminate a lease for a tenant default and the tenant's right to preserve his tenancy by curing a rent default. It finds that, despite some cases to the contrary, case law in New York favors the landlord's reserved right to terminate over the tenant's historic right to cure, at least as to commercial tenancies." It concludes that, in both residential and commercial tenancies, landlords should not have this termination right' and that the legislature should enact appropriate legislation to achieve that objective. Part II of …
The Necessity For Shelter: States Must Prohibit Discrimination Against Children In Housing, Gretchen Walsh
The Necessity For Shelter: States Must Prohibit Discrimination Against Children In Housing, Gretchen Walsh
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This note surveys the different paths courts and legislatures have taken in their attempts to end housing discrimination against children, and concludes that the most feasible and appropriate solution to the problem is a more effective form of state legislation. Part II discusses the likelihood of success and the issues surrounding a claim based upon a denial of fourteenth amendment rights. Part III centers on the possibility of using the Fair Housing Act for a private cause of action and the problems with the proposed bill to amend the Act. Part IV examines the state statutes that attempt to ban …
Illegal Lofts In New York City: Have The Equities Been Balanced, Jay Facciolo
Illegal Lofts In New York City: Have The Equities Been Balanced, Jay Facciolo
Fordham Urban Law Journal
In New York City today, tens of thousands of people,' primarily tenants, are illegally occupying lofts. These tenants have signed commercial leases, often long-term leases at rents far below the current market rate. The changing economics of loft buildings has led to serious conflicts between landlords and tenants. Landlords have sought to evict tenants before their leases expire, refused to renew their leases or demanded higher rental rates upon renewal. Tenants have withheld rent for extended periods. These conflicts have been taken to the courts, and legislation recently enacted in New York State attempts to resolve these issues for at …
Weisner Revisited: A Reappraisal Of A Co-Op's Power To Arbitrarily Prohibit The Transfer Of Its Shares, Harvey S. Epstein
Weisner Revisited: A Reappraisal Of A Co-Op's Power To Arbitrarily Prohibit The Transfer Of Its Shares, Harvey S. Epstein
Fordham Urban Law Journal
Recently, there has been a rise in cooperative ownership in New York City. As a result, the boards of co-ops play a more pivotal role in who may reside in the City. The New York State legislature is moving to limit discriminatory practices by board members. While it does so, this Note concludes that the legislature must also balance the co-op's interest to choose its shareholders. The Note advocates a "reasonableness standard" to judge purchaser rejection decisions.
"Not In My Neighborhood:" Legal Challenges To The Establishment Of Community Residences For The Mentally Disabled In New York State, Robert L. Schonfeld
"Not In My Neighborhood:" Legal Challenges To The Establishment Of Community Residences For The Mentally Disabled In New York State, Robert L. Schonfeld
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Article examines the laws and lawsuits which have affected the establishment of community residences for the mentally disabled in New York State. First, the Article traces the history of community residences prior to the enactment of the Padavan Law in 1978. Thereafter, this Article analyzes the statute to determine whether its procedures and interpretations by courts have been consistent with the drafters' stated intentions. In addition to examining the statutory procedures, this Article considers issues of zoning, the statute's constitutionality, the standing of neighbors and neighborhood groups to challenge community residence sites, and the effect of restrictive covenants on …
The Effect Of Title I Of The 1949 Federal Housing Act On New York City Cooperative And Condominium Conversion Plans, Steven C. Forest
The Effect Of Title I Of The 1949 Federal Housing Act On New York City Cooperative And Condominium Conversion Plans, Steven C. Forest
Fordham Urban Law Journal
In 1985, three Manhattan housing projects were in litigation to convert the units from rental to condominiums or cooperative ownership. However, each project's redevelopment agreement, consistent with Title I of the 1949 Federal Housing Act, required that "no change" be made without consent of the City Planning Commission and the Board of Estimates of the City. This Note analyzes whether the conversion of rental units built under Title I to ownership units constitutes a "change" as interpreted by the New York courts. The interpretation of the term "change" under the Title I redevelopment agreements will be analyzed from both the …
New York City's J-51 Program: Controversy And Revision, Debra S. Vorsanger
New York City's J-51 Program: Controversy And Revision, Debra S. Vorsanger
Fordham Urban Law Journal
New York City administers a real estate tax incentive program, called the J-51 program, for eligible building owners who rehabilitate existing structures. Despite the need for such a program, various problems and abuses arose, emphasizing the need for major reform. Economic conditions changed the housing market and the tax incentives demonstrated several deleterious effects which contravene the original legislative intent of the program. After long negotiations surrounding several competing arguments, reforms were made. The current revisions were necessary to correct the abuses and to return the program to its original purpose of providing adequate housing for moderate and lower income …
The Rights Of Unmarried Cohabiting Couples To Housing In New York, Matthew G. Connolly
The Rights Of Unmarried Cohabiting Couples To Housing In New York, Matthew G. Connolly
Fordham Urban Law Journal
This Note examines the protections available to unmarried couples against housing discrimination under the marital status provision of the New York City and New York State Human Rights Laws. After a brief examnitation of cohabitation, this Note will review judicial and administrative construction of the Human Rights Law since its inception. This Note concludes by proposing that unwed couples be given the same protection as married couples under the marital status provision in the New York Human Rights Law. This proposition finds support in: (1) the statutory mandate that the Human Rights Law be liberally construed to accomplish its purspose, …
Will The "Sunset" On The American Dream? Two Years Of Experience Under The Mortgage Subsidy Bond Tax Act, Geoffrey W. Sager
Will The "Sunset" On The American Dream? Two Years Of Experience Under The Mortgage Subsidy Bond Tax Act, Geoffrey W. Sager
Fordham Urban Law Journal
In the 1970s, housing became increasingly unattainable for low-income single-families who were unable to afford rising housing prices. As a response, state and local housing finance agencies (HFAs) issued tax-exempt single-family mortgage bonds to finance mortgage loans. However, Congress shortly thereafter passed the Mortgage Subsidy Bond Tax Act, denying tax exclusion to such loans. This Comment examines the validity and effectiveness of selected major provisions of the Act which are unique to single-family mortgage revenue bonds, in particular the sunset provision. Ultimately, this Comment concludes that the sunset provision of the Act is unconstitutional.
Examining Cooperative Conversion: An Analysis Of Recent New York Legislation, Robert M. Nelson
Examining Cooperative Conversion: An Analysis Of Recent New York Legislation, Robert M. Nelson
Fordham Urban Law Journal
New York City contains ninety-five percent of the cooperative housing units in the United States. While there are historical and social factors for this statistic, a specific factor is the New York State Legislature's support of conversion of residential real estate from rental to cooperative ownership. Specifically, the "Goodman-Grannis" bill provides a method whereby developers may convert residential rental housing in New York City to cooperative housing without obtaining an agreement to purchase a cooperative apartment from any of the existing tenants. Under this method, tenants who do not desire to purchase their apartments as cooperatives may remain in the …
Gentrification: The Class Conflict Over Urban Space Moves Into The Courts, Harold A. Mcdougall
Gentrification: The Class Conflict Over Urban Space Moves Into The Courts, Harold A. Mcdougall
Fordham Urban Law Journal
Gentrification of inner-cities has resulted in a class conflict over urban space. An issue in the federal courts is whether the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can build, sponsor, or subsidize low income housing projects within or near revitalized neighborhoods. In Stryker's Bay Neighborhood Council v. Karlen, the United States Supreme Court held that HUD's decision-making process relating to the placement of low income housing is beyond judicial review. This Article reviews recent litigation in Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston in light of Stryker's Bay, and concludes that in order to protect federal efforts to maintain the integrated character …
An Evaluation Of New York Loft Conversion Law, William Eckstein
An Evaluation Of New York Loft Conversion Law, William Eckstein
Fordham Urban Law Journal
Prior to World War II, buildings of five to ten stories, called lofts, used to house small factories, dominated lower Manhattan. As these buildings were converted to residences after World War II, laws and regulations regarding conversion were enacted haphazardly. The New York state legislature is considering a bill, Article 7C, Legalization of Interim Multiple Dwellings, designed to address the inadequacies which characterize loft conversion laws. This Note analyzes the propriety of Article 7C by reviewing the evolution of New York loft conversion law. The viewpoints of tenants, landlords, and city officials are presented in separate sections. This Note concludes …