BILL NUMBER:  S6616

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the general municipal law, in
relation to protecting the integrity of traditionally recognized
neighborhoods

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit renaming neighborhoods or
redefining traditional boundaries without community input.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

The general municipal law is amended by adding a new article, 19-C,
which reads in part:

"Section 995. Neighborhood integrity. 1. No person or entity shall
rename or re-designate a traditionally recognized neighborhood within
a city with a population of one million or more, or in any way
reconstitute traditionally recognized neighborhood boundaries, except
as set forth in subdivision two of this section.

2. The mayor, upon a majority approval of the city council, shall
designate and direct a government office or agency to develop a
process for the proposed renaming of any traditionally recognized
neighborhood, or for the reconstitution of the boundaries of any such
              

neighborhood. Such process shall require input from the community
board or boards which represent such areas as established by the
applicable city charter."

 JUSTIFICATION :

Real estate brokers have an obligation under New York State law to
publicly disseminate information that is accurate about the property
or listing being marketed. Notwithstanding this provision, realtors
have increasingly resorted to a practice of renaming neighborhoods and
redrawing traditional neighborhood boundaries in order to rebrand an
area as more desirable for affluent New Yorkers. These actions are not
without consequence.

First, realtors are artificially inflating housing prices in newly
renamed or redrawn neighborhoods to the detriment of working families
and middle class residents struggling to remain in increasingly
unaffordable communities. Second, neighborhoods are often renamed
without regard to its history, culture, character and tradition,
thereby resulting in changes to the cultural and historic landscape of
New York City. Third, prospective homebuyers and tenants are compelled
to pay higher rents or purchase prices than they might otherwise
confront.

One of the most egregious new examples of this practice is the
renaming of parts of Harlem south of 125th Street as "Sofia". Other
examples throughout New York City include real estate brokers renaming
parts of Crown Heights as "ProCro," parts of Little Italy as "Nolita,"
marketing the South Bronx as "SoBro" and rebranding parts of Sunset
Park as "Greenwood Heights" due to the presence of the Greenwood
cemetery in that community. In other words, some realtors have
apparently concluded that it is more desirable to rename a neighborhod
after the dead, rather than associate it with those who have been
living in that community for decades.

While individuals may have a right to call neighborhoods anything they
like. Real estate brokers, however, are licensed and regulated by New
York State and have an affirmative obligation to provide accurate
information to the public. This obligation is undermined by the
unchecked practice of inventing neighborhoods out of thin air in order
to attract high income residents and further contribute to the
gentrification phenomenon.

This legislation will require New York City to develop an official
process for the renaming of neighborhoods and redrawing of traditional
boundaries. The process should include the relevant local community
board and involve meaningful community input.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

A.7740 of 2011-12

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.