BILL NUMBER: S212

SPONSOR: BENJAMIN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

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

 
PURPOSE:

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

 
SUMMARY OF 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 reconsti-
              

tute 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 desig-
nate 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."

 
EXISTING LAW:

None

 
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 unaf-
fordable communities. Second, neighborhoods are often renamed without
regard to its history, culture, character and tradition, thereby result-
ing 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 neighborhood after the dead, rath-
er 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 infor-
mation 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 proc-
ess for the renaming of neighborhoods and redrawing of traditional boun-
daries. The process should include the relevant local community board
and involve meaningful community input.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18: S.6616 / A. 8615
2011-12: A.7740

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately