Crains New York - July 16, 2012 - (Page 12)

OPINION N Small housing, big benefit either rent regulation nor subsidies will ever satisfy the demand for affordable housing in New York City. So we were encouraged last year when the Bloomberg administration—picking up on some outside-the-box thinking by housing advocates—quietly began looking into ways to create housing that is inexpensive but not subsidized. The problem it seeks to fix is not a marketplace failure but laws and zoning geared only to high-earning nuclear families. For example, it is illegal in the city for more than three unrelated adults to live together. Market-rate housing units must be at least 400 square feet—and subsidized units 450 square feet. Never cook? Doesn’t matter: The state says you must have a stove. Happy to live dormitory style? You can’t. In the absence of policies allowing for smaller, cheaper dwellings, property owners have created them illegally for decades by subdividing apartments and converting basements. The result is a lot of uncollected taxes, unprotected tenants and unsafe housing. Last week, the administration pulled back the curtain on its brainstorming, announcing a competition to design and build micro-units in Kips Bay exempt from some of the 1950s-era restrictions. The unveiling was a huge success, garnering coverage from more than 20 media outlets and getting a positive response from the public. The world is now teeming with young, single techies, artists and professionals who would love to live in the city and who are just the kind of people we need to grow and diversify the economy. The housing stock should offer choices that fit their lifestyles and their budgets. Technology makes this easier than ever: Wrote one online commenter, “Put all your books on a Kindle and all your music on an iPod, hang your flat screen on the wall, and you’re good to go.” If the Kips Bay experiment succeeds, as we expect, the city and state should loosen up their housing dictums and let the marketplace go to work. CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS editor in chief Rance Crain publisher, vp Jill R. Kaplan EDITORIAL editor Glenn Coleman deputy managing editors Valerie Block, Erik Ipsen assistant managing editors Erik Engquist, Jeremy Smerd senior producer, news Elisabeth Butler Cordova news producer Lauren Elkies contributing editor Elaine Pofeldt columnists Greg David, Alair Townsend crain’s health pulse editor Barbara Benson senior reporters Theresa Agovino, Aaron Elstein, Lisa Fickenscher, Matthew Flamm, Daniel Massey, Miriam Kreinin Souccar reporters Amanda Fung, Andrew J. Hawkins, Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, Adrianne Pasquarelli web reporter, producer Ian Thomas art director Steven Krupinski deputy art director Carolyn McClain staff photographer Buck Ennis copy desk chief Steve Noveck copy editor Thaddeus Rutkowski data editor Suzanne Panara assistant data editor Emily Laermer researchers Eva Saviano, Amy Stern interns Esthena Brutten, Ken Christensen, Cara Eisenpress, Emily Lundeen, Mary Shell ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE SERVICES general manager, online & e-commerce strategy Kira Bindrim senior web developer, interactive Chris O’Donnell ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND PRODUCTION advertising director Trish Henry senior account managers Irene Bar-Am, Courtney McCombs, Sheryl Rose, Suzanne Wilson account executive Jill Bottomley Kunkes sales coordinator Danielle Wiener newsletter product manager Alexis Sinclair credit Todd J. Masura (313-446-6097) director, audience development Michael O’Connor senior marketing manager Catherine Schutten event producer Courtney Williams reprint sales manager Lauren Melesio production and pre-press director Michael Corsi advertising production manager Suzanne Fleischman Wies TO SUBSCRIBE: For print and digital subscriptions or customer service, e-mail customerservice@crainsnewyork.com or call 877-824-9379 (in the U.S. and Canada) or 313-446-0450 (all other locations). $3.00 a copy for the print edition; or $99.95 one year, $179.95 two years, for print subscriptions with digital access. www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe TO ADVERTISE: Contact Advertising Director Trish Henry at thenry@crainsnewyork.com or call 212-210-0711. www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise FOR INFORMATION ON OUR EVENTS: Contact Event Producer Courtney Williams at cwilliams@crainsnewyork.com or 212-210-0257. www.crainsnewyork.com/events TO CONTACT THE NEWSROOM: FreshDirect’s idea As Andrew J. Hawkins of Crain’s reported last week, FreshDirect is asking Congress to modernize the law so that food stamps can be used to purchase groceries online. Assuming it can be done with safeguards against fraud, we can’t think of a single reason not to do this. Online businesses should have access to all customers, and foodstamp recipients should have access to all grocers. The biggest beneficiaries would be consumers who live in so-called food deserts, with no fresh produce sellers and supermarkets nearby, as well as disabled or infirm people who struggle to get around. Cynics might say FreshDirect is seeking the change to boost its public image and mollify opposition to its planned move to the Bronx, but so what? Its proposal makes sense and should be implemented. CRAIN’S ONLINE POLL COMMENTS It’s the greater chamber buck ennis CRAIN’S STORY WAS A ‘SHAMEFUL HATCHET JOB’ Your story “Chamber of Horrors” ( June 25) was nothing more than a shameful hatchet job intended to discredit the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce. I find it outrageous that Crain’s would smear this organization for supporting mainstream policies, like the $1.25-an-hour increase in the state’s minimum wage that both Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew Cuomo endorse. As a small business owner, I stand strongly behind the Greater New York Chamber’s sound public-policy positions. It’s disgraceful to see Crain’s masquerade a blatant and politically charged editorial piece as a news item, especially when the target of this attack is an organization whose views are broadly representative of business and New York public opinion. I certainly would of increasing the state’s minimum wage. A ‘PACK OF LIES’ Interesting article exposing a leader in the business community of New York. Except it is a pack of lies. I know Mark Jaffe, chief executive of the Greater New York Chamber. He is not a liberal, but a conservative Democrat. The Greater New York Chamber has four to six business-card exchange events per month that focus on networking. That is what many individuals like me want. I think Crain’s should look at the Manhattan and Queens chambers of commerce with their lack of businessnetworking events (maybe one or two a month) and their meetings with politicians (hmm, could that be political favors at work?). —richard boodman IS $15 TOO MUCH TO PAY FOR AN AVERAGE CAB RIDE? Yes. I’m going to invest in a good pair of walking shoes. No. There’s still nothing faster and easier than hailing a cab. Date of poll: July 12 185 votes 711 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017-4036 editorial phone: 212.210.0277 fax 212.210.0799 Entire contents ©copyright 2012 Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. ®CityBusiness is a registered trademark of MCP Inc., used under license agreement. 75% Yes 25% No expect a business publication to be a little more objective. —michael locker President Locker Associates Editor’s note: Locker Associates is a business consulting firm that represents unions in corporate restructurings. In addition, Crain’s has editorialized in favor PUBLISHED BY CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. chairman Keith E. Crain president Rance Crain secretary Merrilee Crain treasurer Mary Kay Crain executive vp, operations William Morrow senior vp, group publisher Gloria Scoby group vp, technology, circulation, manufacturing Robert C. Adams vp/production, manufacturing David Kamis chief information officer Paul Dalpiaz founder G.D. Crain Jr. (1885-1973) chairman Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. (1911-1996) FOR THIS WEEK’S QUESTIONS: Go to www.crainsnewyork.com/poll to have your say. CRAIN’S WELCOMES SUBMISSIONS to its opinion pages. Send letters to letters@crainsnewyork.com. Send columns of 475 words or fewer to opinion@crainsnewyork.com. Please include the writer’s name, company, address and telephone number. 12 | Crain’s New York Business | July 16, 2012 http://www.crainsnewyork.com/subscribe http://www.crainsnewyork.com/advertise http://www.crainsnewyork.com/events http://www.crainsnewyork.com/poll

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - July 16, 2012

Crains New York - July 16, 2012
In the Boroughs
In the Markets
The Insider
Business Peopl
From Around the City
Opinion
Greg David
Real Estate Deals
Report: Small Business
For the Record
Classifieds
Source Lunch
Out and About
Snaps

Crains New York - July 16, 2012

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130729
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130722
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130715
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130624
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130617
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130527
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130520
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130513
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130429
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130422
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130415
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130325
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130318
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130225
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130218
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130128
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130121
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130114
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20130107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121224
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121217
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121203_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121126
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121119
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121029
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20121001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120924
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120917
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120910_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120827
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120820
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120813
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120806_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120730
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120723
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120716
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120625
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120618
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120528
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120521
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/20120514
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/crainsnewyork/nxtd
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com