NYC Department of Buildings’ Post

What happens if a local authority wants to withdraw options during a public consultation? That’s what happened in the 2015 case of R (Bokrosova) vs. Lambeth London Borough Council. The case revolved around the Cressingham Gardens estate in Lambeth, with the council proposing five options for changes, including refurbishment and regeneration. The council initially launched a comprehensive consultation involving residents. However, as financial constraints emerged, the council withdrew the unaffordable options without sharing financial details with the consultative working group. So, was it lawful? Was this a breach of the Gunning Principle that you should always give ‘conscientious consideration’ to what consultees say? It prompted a legal challenge and the Court concluded that Lambeth's decision to remove refurbishment options without completing the advertised process was unlawful. The judgement reinforces the importance of thorough and lawful consultation in decision-making processes, setting a precedent for future cases. Want to learn more about consultation law cases and precedents? Book your tickets: https://lnkd.in/dpuNTC5J #consultationlaw #legalprocesses #lawsandregulations #civicengagement #legalframework #consultationprocess #statutoryrequirements #legalchallenges #judicialreviews #caselaw

What did you think about the Kings Speach? @landlords are you ready for the changes? It’s going to become even more important to ensure that you undertake proper checks before taking on tenants, that you put in place robust tenancy agreements and that you properly protect your tenants rights at all times. What do you think about the new reforms? If you’d like to learn more about the reforms and what steps you can take to protect your interests moving forward let me know. You can watch the full speech at BBC news https://lnkd.in/ea3VeQ93

Hot off the press! Read Part 1 of our “What You Need to Know About the 2024 Massachusetts Affordable Housing Bill” series, which addresses several significant changes to the statutory provisions governing appeals from #zoning decisions: https://lnkd.in/e7hTuCxh #affordablehousing

Ultimately, this is about putting information--and power--in the hands of the tenants.

Renting a home or apartment in Wisconsin? It’s important to understand your tenant rights to ensure a fair and secure living situation. Whether you’re a tenant or landlord, being aware of key laws like security deposits, habitability standards, and privacy rights can help prevent disputes and protect your interests. Click the link below to read our full blog post breaking down Wisconsin tenant rights and recent changes you need to know: https://bit.ly/3TUBJ03

QUINTON LUCAS OFFICE -RESPONSE TO THE PROTEST RE: KCMO CONSTRUCTION BOARD OVER 16 COMPLAINTS OF POLICY VIOLATIONS ON CITY PROJECTS: Hello, On Friday, July 12, you reported on a small protest outside City Hall about a months-old letter sent to City leadership concerning equity within City contracts. Your article did not reference specific projects of concern. City leadership asked what projects were of concern following receipt of the letter, but those questions went unanswered for more than a month. In the past week, leadership has pushed to understand the exact instances of concern fueling these public statements and got an answer yesterday evening. Both issues were resolved prior to your story through CREO’s regular course of business and operation standards. The Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (CREO) Department works to increase business inclusion and economic equity. An issue with a contractor being non-union. This was resolved weeks ago to all stakeholders’ satisfaction. The Meta project was the second project of concern. However, this was also resolved months ago as they submitted a Contract Utilization Plan (CUP) in February with $75 million going to MWBEs, which is 15% above the goal. This leaves me curious about your story. It is easy to be outspoken and make claims, but it takes journalism to get to the root of the complaint and its validity. Did your organization ask for specifics when reporting on this issue? When specifics could not be given, what was the basis of the story? The claims made below are serious and untrue. It is up to journalists to investigate them and understand if the story is valid for air. This may be why FOX4 was the only station to cover it, with the Business Journal only covering it because it “made it on the news.” This section of your article is flatly false: “CREO assigns goals for minority and women owned business participation on city projects above a certain dollar amount. Miller says Black owned companies aren’t getting jobs based on their capabilities. “Meaning that if they can bond for $2 million, why are they constantly getting $200,000 worth of work?” he asked.” From July 2023 to July 2024, the City’s CREO Department: · Secured $650M+ in contracts for MWBE businesses · Certified nearly 800 MWBE businesses · 21 active Civil rights investigations · Recovered $80K in unpaid or underpaid wages via new Contract Compliance Unit The City of Kansas City is proud of the equitable opportunities being created for minority and women-owned businesses. As our Mayor stated to you on Friday, “Kansas City leads the region and the country in creating opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. I have great confidence in the leadership of our Civil Rights Department and the exceptional women and men at City Hall to continue to ensure welcoming opportunities for all.” Sherae Honeycutt Press Secretary & City Spokeswoman

The video of the Law Center for Better Housing's "2024 Chicago Evictions Townhall" is available. Our panelists talked about the ongoing changes to Chicago’s eviction process that level the playing field for renters. Jump to the 11:15 and 14:54 timestamps to learn more about these changes and hear a renter’s perspective. 

Keith Parsons, the Strategic Enforcement Administrator at the District of Columbia Department of Buildings (DOB), emphasizes the agency's dual mission of enforcement and economic development. He highlights DOB's efforts to engage with the public on regulatory enforcement and dispel misconceptions. Mr. Parsons stresses the agency's structure, enforcement responsibilities, and the recent release of its first yearly code enforcement report for Fiscal Year 2023. He also emphasizes corrective action, fine incentives, and ongoing data improvements to enhance enforcement effectiveness, aiming to stimulate dialogue and engagement. #DOB #DistrictofColumbia #BuildingConnections #RegulatoryEnforcement #EconomicDevelopment #CodeEnforcement #DataImprovement #PublicEngagement #Compliance #CommunityDialogue

"It's really easy to demonize the other person when you're upset ... With mediation, you start to remember there's a person there and whatever you're doing is affecting them as much as it's affecting you." https://lnkd.in/g2qGW48A TNG Community Services offers invaluable conflict mediation services to resolve neighbourhood and other disputes. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gv4E4mss

The government is also supporting the High Streets (Designation, Review and Improvement Plan) Bill which will ensure councils routinely develop and publish improvement plans for their high streets... What does the Bill do? The Bill would require local authorities in England to designate streets as high streets, either a single high street, or a network of high streets. Local authorities would be required to publish an improvement plan setting out proposals for the preservation and enhancement of designated high streets. Local authorities would be required to review these plans every five years and to consider them when exercising planning functions. Analysis undertaken by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the anticipated financial implications of the Bill states that projected public expenditure resulting from the Bill’s proposals would be no greater than £26 million every five years. The government have committed to funding the cost of up to three designations per local authority. The Bill applies to England only.