March
2022
21
Albany Times-Union — This budget season, there’s been a lot of talk about investing in New York’s future. Citing better-than-expected tax receipts and a wealth of federal stimulus funds, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently declared, “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make thoughtful, purpose-driven investments in our state and in our people that will pay dividends for decades.”
March
2022
20
CNBC — Siraba Keita survived New York’s deadliest fire in decades — only to see her bank freeze the savings she needed to pick up the pieces.
March
2022
1
Harlem World — Today, activists and elected advocates gathered on the steps of City Hall to celebrate the end of the Rudy Giuliani-created Lien Sale program. Since 1996, New York City has been selling the right to collect delinquent property tax and water debt at a discount to a privately administered hedge fund-backed Lien Trust.
March
2022
1
City Limits — New York City’s most recent property tax lien sale may be its last as momentum grows for a new debt collection model—including a plan to cut out private firms, reduce penalties and empower community land trusts.
February
2022
10
The Baffler — Debra Ack was running out of time. On December 17, New York City would transfer over a hundred million dollars of publicly held debt into private hands—and many of those affected didn’t even know about it. That’s why Ack, along with other volunteers from the East New York Community Land Trust (CLT), were knocking on doors across East New York and other parts of Brooklyn in the days leading up to the transfer.
January
2022
12
NY State of Politics — Advocates on Tuesday began another push to approve a measure creating a regulatory system for public banks in New York state in order to bring more financial institutions to underserved communities.
January
2022
11
Common Dreams — Over 150 advocacy groups from across the Empire State Tuesday sent a letter to New York legislative leaders urging them to follow in the footsteps of places like North Dakota, Germany, and Costa Rica and pass legislation allowing the creation of public banks that would help “advance racial equity and ensure a just recovery for all New Yorkers.”
January
2022
1
Check out the new two-page snapshot highlighting some of New Economy Project’s work, events, and media coverage during 2021!
December
2021
16
Brooklyn Eagle — The city is missing an opportunity to create affordable housing, claims the Abolish the NYC Tax Lien Sale Coalition, making its statement ahead of the city’s tax lien sale this Friday.
December
2021
16
Next City — Marcus is a disabled, 66 year-old Vietnam war veteran. He lives in a house in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn that has been in his family since the 1960’s. An only child, he inherited the home when his parents passed, his only piece of generational wealth. But after falling behind on property taxes, the city placed an $11,000 lien on his home. That lien will be sold to a third party, making the debt nearly impossible to pay off.