Original reporting

How is NYC's Health Department handling the Legionnaires' outbreak?

In the face of a new outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene quickly pivoted to a strategy of aggressive remediation and significant transparency, with more information promised shortly. But what about describing to the public the common course of Legionnaires’ in more detail?

Declining school enrollment: it's not all doom and gloom

Story Repair, Original Reporting | By Benjamin Schneider, Craig Gurian

Widespread school enrollment declines undoubtedly come with challenges, but that’s not the whole story.

Schools Education policy Population

Why aren’t bus lanes a fully integrated part of New York City’s emergency response toolkit?

Original Reporting | By Benjamin Schneider

None of the needed planning, protocols, data collection, adaptations, or enforcement appear to be in place.

Revolving loan funds: The hottest trend in housing finance

Original Reporting | By Benjamin Schneider

A housing policy tool is gaining momentum that could stimulate lots of mixed-income homes for a relatively small investment. Will partisan ideology stand in the way of its spread?

Social housing coming to Seattle this year

Original Reporting | By Benjamin Schneider

Seattle is the only city in America attempting to recreate a Vienna-style social housing program. In an extended interview, Seattle Social Housing Developer's interim CEO discusses the authority's acquisition and construction plans, as well as many unresolved governance and financial questions.

With IRS enforcement down, state and local tax revenues could suffer, too

Original Reporting | By Benjamin Schneider

More cheating on federal tax returns would flow through to state and local returns, but state and local officials don't seem to have the potential problem on their radar. Former Chair of New York City Council Finance Committee: it's "smart to start thinking about it."

Major capital improvements in rent-regulated buildings: still landlord-friendly

Original Reporting, Data Visualizations | By Craig Gurian

The element of the system that has not been getting much attention is how landlords of rent-regulated apartments recoup costs for major capital improvements (MCIs) — things like new roofs, boilers, windows, plumbing, and electrical wiring.

Affordable housing Regulation NYC

Cuomo fails to answer questions about his new promises

Original Reporting | By Craig Gurian

Three basic inquiries arising out of a campaign-reboot walk-and-talk with Errol Louis on Inside City Hall go unanswered.

Walden really is a true believer in "free markets" -- with a lot of government assistance

Original Reporting | By Craig Gurian

Extended audio interview focuses on housing plans; education, civil rights, and Walden's consolidation-of-the-field scheme also discussed.

Full transcript of Eric Adams campaign kickoff speech, annotated

Original Reporting | By Craig Gurian

Adams tried to claim the mantle of the candidate of the working class, identified first-term achievements, laid down a marker of vowing to protect all religions against hate crimes, and excoriated Mamdani, focusing most on the theme that New York "is not a city of socialism." What he didn't say was important, too.

Hochul's "Pro-Housing Community" program so far falling flat

Original Reporting | By Craig Gurian

A large percentage of municipalities in Westchester and Nassau Counties — two of the beating hearts of exclusionary zoning in the New York City metropolitan area — are saying in effect, “No, thank you, we like our exclusion just the way we have it.” The lack of progress is especially apparent in municipalities with the lowest percentages of non-Hispanic Black residents.

Original reporting

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