A noteworthy legislative amendment was the exclusion of “squatters” from the definition of “tenant” under the current tenancy laws.
It is important to note that while the new Good Cause Eviction Law went into effect in New York City immediately, other municipalities throughout New York State will need to opt-in by enacting this legislation if they so choose.
“Without a doubt, this (expo) is needed now more than ever,” Zarfes said.
WHITE PLAINS—During a period when home prices continue to rise and inventory continues to be at or near record lows, the timing of the 2024 Fair and Affordable Housing Expo could not have been better.
On April 27, Westchester Residential Opportunities hosted the program at the Westchester County Center in White Plains that attracted more than 500 aspiring home buyers. The program also featured three informational sessions focused on providing critical information to home buyers and renters.
The programs included “The Path to Homeownership” that included insights into the home buying process, mortgage basics, affordable homeownership and Fair Housing updates that were presented by officials with event sponsor Citi.
A presentation that concentrated on Fair & Affordable rentals included information on how to apply for affordable rentals, available rental assistance grants and Fair Housing regulations.
The final program of the day was presented by sponsor M&T Bank and covered credit issues and first-time homebuying grants.
The sponsors of the Fair and Affordable Housing Expo were: The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Citi, Bank of America, Valley Bank, Chase, Citizens, M&T Bank, the Westchester County Department of Planning, Emigrant Mortgage, SONYMA and PCSB Bank.
HGAR’s Leah Caro serves on the WRO Board of Directors as Co-Chair; Debra Budetti serves as Secretary and Barry Kramer is the Chair of WRO’s Homeownership Advisory Committee and Fair Housing & Diversity Advisory Committee.
Marlene Zarfes, Executive Director of Westchester Residential Opportunities, said she was pleased that so many prospective buyers attended this year’s expo and noted that first-time homebuyers need assistance coping with high lending rates and prices. In addition, affordable rental units are also hard to find in Westchester and the surrounding area.
“Without a doubt, this (expo) is needed now more than ever,” Zarfes said. “With the low inventory, the prices of homes going up and mortgage rates going up, it is just critical that we give people the information that they need to be able to not be evicted, not be foreclosed upon and find a home that works for them.”
She also noted that WRO provides assistance to those seeking affordable rental apartments. WRO’s affordablewestchester.org features a listing of affordable rentals and homes for sale in Westchester, including applications and brochures for available projects.
Among the dignitaries at the Fair and Affordable Housing Expo was White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach, who briefed attendees on the latest openings of housing developments that feature affordable units, as well as the pipeline of projects coming online in the near future.
WHITE PLAINS—Residential sales in 2021 in the counties served by OneKey MLS, Inc. reached a historic peak. This, despite
WHITE PLAINS—After residential sales volume in the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’ market area reached historically high levels in
ALBANY—Less than 24 hours after the real estate industry was led to believe that in-person real estate showings were
New one-unit CLL values in the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties will be $1,149,825.
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