Nonprofit Industrial Complex.
Crain’s NY published a detailed special report this week about the billions of dollars New York City gives to nonprofits to provide social services, including more than $80 billion under existing contracts to provide homeless services. Some of these contracts run past 2050. Many of the nonprofits who have these lucrative contracts also have CEOs with deep connections to political insiders and are paid close to seven-figure salaries. Ultimately, they staff tens of thousands of people who provide critical services to the city with little to no oversight on how the money is spent or the services provided. The report refers to this as the “shadow government” and highlights how roughly $23 billion per year is spent to prop up more than 6,000 nonprofit organizations. Some suggest these nonprofits have freedom to provide services more efficiently, outside of the government rules and regulations. Others would argue the results of the services provided are questionable. For example, the city props up 11 organizations to provide homeless services, which employs 15,000 people, or one worker for 7 homeless people. And yet the city continues to struggle to address the growing crisis.
National Grid PSC Hearing.
The state Public Service Commission is holding an in-person public hearing tonight in Albany on National Grid’s proposal to increase annual gas and electric delivery rates by $673 million for upstate customers as part of its plan to pay for $5 billion in infrastructure upgrades. The hearing starts at 6 p.m. at the Albany Public Library. National Grid and ConEd were recently in the news after Rep. Ritchie Torres released a study highlighting the disparity in costs between the two energy companies. Gas and electric costs are just one of the elements that push rents up and make operating a building more expensive, so pushback from tenants and owners is expected.
AC Mandate Bad for City’s Carbon Goals.
Crain’s New York published an op-ed about how a proposed air conditioning mandate could undermine the city’s carbon emission goals. Since the bill was introduced calling for a “cooling season” in the summer, where owners would be responsible for maintaining maximum indoor temperatures, we have been highlighting problems with the bill language. The bill still exists in the City Council, but with increasing attention and critiques of the bill, there is a better chance of it being amended or taken off the table. This op-ed was written by Lee Hoffman, the founder and president of Runwise, a smart building control platform that operates heating, cooling electric and water systems. He points out that while the bill is well-intentioned, it would likely end up harming tenants by increasing housing costs, and does not jive with Local Law 97.
NYAA Calendar
Sept. 18 - BEX Climate Mobilization Act: Affordable Housing Training webinar
Sept. 18 - Federal Reserve Meeting
Sept. 18 - Committee on Public Housing - Hearing on ERAP
Sept. 22 - DSNY S.A.F.E Disposal Event in Manhattan
Sept. 23 - Committee on Aging - Hearing on NORCs
Sept. 25 - Membership Meeting at NYAA
Sept. 25 - Committee on Civil Service and Labor - Hearing on Int. 910
Sept. 29 - DSNY S.A.F.E Disposal Event in Brooklyn
Sept. 30 - HPD multiple dwelling registration deadline (was Sept. 1)
Sept. 30 - Deadline for ConEd Smart Usage Savings Application