However, many developers eagerly take the risk because of the higher rents they can charge. When a building is privatized, it loses its tax abatement and the owner must often refinance the mortgage and lose certain investment returns. Their abilities are vast and varied, and they bring us experience at all levels of landlord-tenant law.”- The attorneys of Himmelstein McConnell Gribben & Joseph LLP “All of our attorneys have subspecialties - New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal, Article 78s, Mitchell-Lama cases - every lawyer has an area of focus. The need for affordable housing has never gone away, and neither has the need for advocates who can fight for the rights of tenants. Sometimes the resulting “affordable housing” developments seem more like financial windfalls for developers than havens for tenants needing relief from market pressures. Economic pressures toward market rates have fueled this change. Since the 1990s, about a third of these apartments have been privatized and have lost their protected status. Serving PHFL Housing Tenants | Manhattan Mitchell-Lama Housing AttorneysĪt one time, there were more than 100,000 apartments covered by Mitchell-Lama alone. To consult with an attorney, call us in Manhattan at 21. We work every day to protect the rights of tenants of buildings subject to Mitchell-Lama or the Private Housing Finance Law (PHFL). We can advise and represent you or your tenant group in matters relating to a building’s protected status, pertaining to: Unlike many developers and landlords, the lawyers of Himmelstein McConnell Gribben & Joseph LLP haven’t forgotten why protections for New York City tenants exist.
Over the years, New York has created a vast array of programs aimed to ensure that low- and middle-income residents have access to shelter at a cost they can bear. Mitchell-Lama law was passed in the 1950s to create affordable housing in New York City. Manhattan Mitchell-Lama Housing Lawyer New York Tenant Rights Never Go Out of Style