IPNTA Home Independence Plaza North Tenant Association Home Click here for Email Updates    Skip Navigation
  IPNTA Officers Contact Us Site Map
Skip Navigation
Home
Archive
In The Press
IPNTA Newsletters
Elected Officials
Links
Community/
Preparedness
 

Archive

Previous Front Page Stories: 2016-2013
Other Years: [2016-1013]  [2013-2011]   [2010]   [2009-2007]  [2006 and earlier]


Free Civil Legal Services Coming to Your Neighborhood

[Download Flyer in English & Spanish]

The Mobile Legal Help Center is a partnership between the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) and the New York State Courts’ Access to Justice Program that provides free civil legal services to New Yorkers in need.

Private meeting rooms and technology inside the vehicle enable it to function as a full-service office.

The vehicle will be stationed at:
NEW LOCATION:
Pitt Street, Between Grand and Broome Streets, Adjacent to Grand Street Guild
460 Grand Street New York, NY 10002
Friday, April 15th
10am to 3pm

To make an appointment please visit: https://mobilelegalhelpcenter.acuityscheduling.com

For more information, please call:
Office of Council Member Margaret Chin
212-587-3159


Rent Regulation Laws - June 2015

Dear IPN Residents:

The courts have ruled that despite Stellar's J-51, IPN isn't rent stabilized. Nevertheless, under the deal negotiated with them, the LAP tenants' rent mimics rent stabilization, whose renewal we, of course, support -- the end of which, would affect our increases.

In the event rent stabilization was ended (which we doubt), our deal explains how they would estimate future increases. LAP tenants SHOULD support Rent Guidelines Board hearings; and support our official’s work on our behalf by writing/attending demonstrations, etc.

The future of affordable housing affects all of us. In the meantime, please see announcements below from Gale Brewer and Margaret Chin, and information from Letitia James. --IPNTA Executive Board

See the Rent Regulations page:


Attention LAP tenants! Management Targeting LAP Tenants with 2nd Address!

Stellar Management has been targeting tenants who may have a 2nd residence; weekend home; are named on parent’s home; etc.

They are looking for those tenants whose cars are registered in another state; who have phones listed elsewhere — anything showing you have another location. THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROVE THAT YOU DO NOT LIVE IN IPN AS YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.

They have sent 10 day notices to vacate to at least five tenant families we know of so far. We have written to our elected officials to enlist their help in what seems to be a plan to target LAP tenants. We have also written to Stellar Management’s main office - where these 10 day notices are obviously being generated.

If you live at IPN as your primary resident - ask us for assistance or to discuss. If you do not live here as your primary residence, then we cannot get involved. You may contact the IPNTA via email: Info@IPNTA.ORG

If you hear from Management with their horrible way of communicating - a ten day notice - You very well may need an attorney.

We have some suggestions, but if you know a good tenant attorney, by all means - contact him or her if you get the notice and let us know what happened; and which lawyer you are using. We have registered our complaint about management using this way of communicating with tenants. It’s as if tenants are guilty without having a chance to prove otherwise.

We have tenants who have already won this battle - but it seems Stellar is really trying to shake people up.

Don’t do it alone. Contact us.

Oh, and please Join the Tenant Association so we can continue fighting for you.

No dues - no membership - we cannot represent you. It’s really that simple. IPNTA Membership Form


General Tenants Meeting

The IPNTA is your voice at IPN and in community affairs that directly affect our safety and quality of life in Tribeca.

All tenants please join us for the upcoming
GENERAL TENANTS MEETING [Download flyer]
February 17th, 2016Wednesday Evening at 7:00 PM
310 Greenwich Street (Building 9)
2nd floor Community Room

Agenda:

  • Best Market representative will give us an overview of the new supermarket opening in about 4 weeks in the former Food Emporium location. Come hear what we can expect!
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Community Update on:
  • The fallen crane incident and how CB1 has been fighting for proper oversight for 90 current construction sites downtown.
  • Rodent action and what suggestions have been made to local restaurants to help the situation.
  • IPN’s preparation for emergency situations – our booklet on website, etc.
  • Tell us your latest experiences at IPN involving the buildings, your apartments, amenities, and the surrounding area. We will moderate “hearing from tenants” for approximately ½ hour.
  • Voucher-related questions or announcements – some of us will stay after general meeting is adjourned to address.

IPNTA membership dues for 2016 are now being accepted and you can give us a check at the meeting. Yearly dues are: $25.00 per person - $15.00 per senior or disabled.


Emergency Voucher Tenants Meeting - September 15, 2014 [Download Flyer]
Fire Safety Forum - September 18, 2014 [Download Flyer]


H.A.A.D. Housing Alliance Against Downsizing

Our tenant association works with HAAD to end downsizing. Diane Lapson and Rosemarie Reed (IPN tenants) are both on the board of directors of HAAD.

Here’s one accomplishment that affects many of our IPN tenants.

New York City Housing Dept. Eases Rule Forcing Low-Income Tenants to Downsize, NY Times, Dec 4, 2014

We are still fighting to end the downsizing of more than 1 person into smaller apartments. We are happy about this success and will keep you posted.
- Diane Lapson, President, IPNTA

It is almost one year since HPD instituted downsizing and sadly all efforts to have a moratorium until alternate cost-saving measures can be explored have not gotten a response from neither Mayor de Blasio nor HPD Commissioner Vicki Been. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer wote a letter to Commissioner Been as a direct result of Been's testimony before the City Council Housing Committee April 9 Hearing. 17 of Manhattan's Federal, State and City elected officials signed on to that letter.

Downsizing affects NYCHA and former Mitchell Lama tenants in all 5 NYC boroughs, albeit in different ways. NYCHA does not have 0-bedroom apartments.

With the help of many elected officials offices, H.A.A.D. has invited every NYC Federal, State and City elected official to attend an Elected Official Press Conference on Wednesday at 11:00 AM at the City Hall Plaza. Letters have not received any movement toward a moratorioum. Hopefully, the powerful voices of our elected officials will be heard. We want every elected official to call the Mayor.

As a show of tenant voices and more importantly votes, it would be great if all tenant leaders and tenants could also attend the conference. We hope a booming outcry from elected officials will be heard and acted upon by the Mayor.

Here is a Media Advisory that was sent out June 30, 2014, to the media.

H.A.A.D.
Housing Alliance Against Downsizing
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 30, 2014
New York, NY

Federal, State & City Elected Officials Meet to Demand a Moratorium Against HPD’s Disastrous New Section 8 Downsizing Guidelines

What:    Press Conference with New York Federal, State & City elected officials.  Hosted by H.A.A.D., Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at 11:00 a.m., at City Hall Plaza. 

Numerous New York elected officials will meet to speak out against HPD’s new downsizing guidelines and for the almost 9,000 previously properly-housed Section 8 Voucher tenants in all five boroughs.

The new guidelines force long-term tenants, seniors, (a vast majority of whom are elderly women in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s), and medically challenged tenants to vacate their 1-bedroom apartments and move to a 0-bedroom.  HPD also mandates that single parents with a child over 4 years must to move to a 1-bedroom no matter the sex of the child. 

Why:  HPD says they must move these tenants due to sequestered funds.  Even though these funds were released in January 2014, HPD continues downsizing the most vulnerable of New York’s tenants.

Who: H.A.A.D is a community-based tenants’ group working with New York’s federal, state and city officials to demand a moratorium on downsizing until alternate options can be explored. 

Numerous elected officials will be speaking out for a moratorium and will be available for interviews with the press.
We urgently ask that you attend and cover this important press conference.  H.A.A.D. believes that a bedroom for the elderly and single parents and their children is not a luxury! 

Contact:  Rita Popper, Co-Chair, H.A.A.D., 212-860-4540, Harri Molese, Media, H.A.A.D., 646-672-1365


Voucher Issues

Letter from Borough President Gail Brewer to HPD and the Mayor regarding the downsizing of voucher tenants.
Download the letter (pdf)

This letter followed the Feb 24th 2014meeting held at IPN.


Attention LAP Tenants - Rent Calculator (2014)

Some of you are receiving lease extensions this year.

You can use this rent calculator, created by one of our tenants. This will help you determine if your lease has the appropriate figures. Please use this even if you have already signed a new lease extension to check on the figures.

Download rent calculator (excel file)

Instructions for use:
Enter your base (current) rent in the yellow cell at the top of the page. Your new rent will be calculated in the "New Rent" rows for both a one-year and two-year lease extension. Based on the IPN negotiated deal, there is a 3.3% annual bump-up for three years. Therefore, a two-year lease will see a new rent total for the first year and an additional (higher) rent for the second year. (After the three years the bump-up goes down to 1 percent.)


IPNTA Election Schedule 2014

Download Schedule Details
Download Election Rules

June 3rd - 7pm: Deadline to join TA to nominate/accept nominations
June 10th - 7pm: Deadline to make or accept nominations
June 15th - Nominees announced
June 22nd - 7pm: Deadline to join TA to vote
June 27th - 4 to 7pm: Election in Lobbies of All 3 Towers


Meeting for Section 8 Residents at IPN

There will be an open meeting of the recently formed organization, H.A.A.D. (Housing Alliance Against Downsizing) sponsored by the Independence Plaza Tenants Association.

Date: Monday, February 24, 2014
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Independence Plaza North
310 Greenwich St.
2nd Floor – community room

This meeting will serve to update our voucher tenants about the issue of downsizing and what is being done to fight the issue. Because of lack of space, please do not attend UNLESS you file for a voucher each year with HPD. Thank you very much.

AGENDA

  • Introductions
  • Appoint a Secretary
  • Purpose of HAAD - Mission
  • Discussion of current status
  • Updates by any public officials with new information
  • Other Business
  • Next Steps Next Meeting
  • Adjournment

For information on H.A.A.D (Housing Alliance Against Downsizing), email: H.A.A.D@aol.com

Funding to support H.A.A.D is suggested at $50.00 per apartment. Anything you can contribute would be appreciated. Make checks or money orders payable to H.A.A.D. and be sure to include your name and address and phone number, and email on the envelope.


Congressman Nadler Speaks out for Our Voucher Tenants

After meeting with IPN residents in August, Congressman Nadler got to work, along with our other elected officials, to protect our voucher tenants.

The following press release refers to the congressional letter he sent out on September 4th.

CONGRESSMAN JERROLD NADLER 10th Congressional District of New York Nadler Leads Letter on Section 8 Housing Cuts in New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 4, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) was joined by nine of his colleagues in the New York Congressional delegation in a letter to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development expressing concerns about recent changes to its Section 8 Housing Voucher Program.

“While I understand that sequestration drastically limits the budget of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), the policy changes that HPD has made to its Section 8 Housing Voucher Program hurt those New Yorkers who need the most help,” said Nadler. “In this letter, my colleagues and I urge HPD ‘to re-examine these changes and consider alternatives that minimize the impact on our most vulnerable families and ensure there are no evictions of people currently receiving Section 8 vouchers.’ We look forward to HPD’s response, and I will continue to help lead the fight against the deep and unprecedented reductions in funding as a result of sequestration – which I have long opposed.”

In addition to Congressman Nadler, the following members of Congress signed the letter: Reps. Yvette Clarke, Joseph Crowley, Eliot Engel, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, José Serrano, and Nydia Velázquez.

Jerrold Nadler has served in Congress since 1992. He represents New York’s 10th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Twitter: @RepJerryNadler


Update on Pier 26 Concerts - July and beginning of August 2013

Dear Tenants:

On June 26, 27 and 28th there were three concerts on Pier 26, and many tenants were upset by the extremely loud noise and especially bass reverberation sounds that flooded the airwaves. Independence Plaza was not the only residential community affected. There were 13 pages of people who called in to 311 complaining about the loud noise. In contrast, the concert that took place last week only had 7 calls into 311. However, tenants are concerned about the ongoing concerts.

About 9 residents came to the Quality of Life Committee at the Community Board last Thursday evening to discuss and register their complaints, suggestions, etc. Present were the representatives from the Heritage of Pride events and The Hudson River Park Trust organization, who booked the concerts. I did not overly encourage tenants to attend, knowing the limited space and because of the extreme heat. I felt a good representation was all we needed. Thanks to those of you who came and represented the tenants of Independence Plaza. Much appreciated.

I had a meeting with Madelyn Wils, President and CEO of the Hudson River Park Trust at her request. It appears that they are very genuine in their desire to mitigate the situation. They are going to experiment with sound and bass, starting tonight with FUN, a group that is performing two concerts this month. The speakers, she explained, when HRPT were responsible for them, were installed facing down and they are going to make sure that the sound is not any higher than the legal decibel level.

Additionally, she would like me to give feedback - and have an ongoing dialog about what works and what does not. If they cannot fix issues so the noise is bearable, they will not have those kinds of concerts there in the future. I mentioned and explained IP tenant Liz Berger's suggestion of facing the speakers towards the river at the front of the pier as an alternative to fix the problem next year; (it is too cost prohibitive to even think about that now) but again, if these initial steps do not work out, they will not have the concerts next year. They do not want to create community problems. There is some money that is raised for the Hudson River Park Trust, which helps to pay for the high cost of all the other downtown concerts and activities.

However, causing a community problem, again, is not their desire, said Madelyn Wills. Please note that they also received many emails saying how much fun people had at the concerts on the pier; so there are folks who enjoyed it as well as folks who were disturbed by the loudness of the sound. Whether those folks who enjoyed it live at Independence Plaza or the surrounding area on the water, I do not know. One of the problems is that Heritage of Pride controlled their own sound and activity. Before next year’s event, we will be speaking with them about their 3-day extravaganza. They did mention that perhaps they wouldn’t have full-blown music for the whole three days, and actually, they were supposed to have only talking for the first two events; music on the third. Though we made it very clear at the CB meeting that by no means did any of us have any problems with their celebrating the end of gay pride weekend, it nonetheless impacted in a big way on our community and things need to be discussed to change that for the future.

Having them find another location would take a lot of community activism; the state desired them on that pier. Hudson River Park Trust did come to the community board, Tribeca Committee to present these plans twice. Once back in April, and then, recently. They presented the plans in advance, before booking and the Tribeca Committee was unanimously in favor of concerts on the pier, feeling we haven’t had entertainment down here for a long time. I don’t think anyone realized the impact of how sound travels on the water, and with surrounding buildings.

But there are about 7 more concerts coming up. I really need feedback to know how many people are upset. Some people are not. I must be fair.

See article in Tribeca Trib:
Residents Sound Off Over Concert Noise from Tribeca's Pier 26, Tribeca Trib
http://www.tribecatrib.com/content/residents-sound-over-concert-noise-tribecas-pier-26


 

 

 
Skip Navigation
Top / Home
Archive / In The Press / IPNTA Newsletters / Elected Officials
IPNTA Officers / Links / Community/Preparedness / Contact Us / Site Map
IPNTA Officers Contact  Us