City Council hears Kallos’ push to end illegal hotels
BY DEAN MOSES
The Coalition Against Illegal Hotels,
City Council Member Ben Kallos
and Assembly Member Richard N.
Gottfried touted a new bill Monday, Sept.
13, aiming to crack down on illegal hotels
by creating a mandatory registration system
for short-term rentals.
Minutes before the fi rst hearing on City
Council Intro. 2309 was set to begin, the
Coalition and lawmakers urged passage of
the bill which hopes to stop illegal hotel
renting to tourists while opening up free
housing space for homeless New Yorkers.
“I’ve been a tenant for most of my life
and I’m tired of having to compete with
tourists for housing in this city, housing
should be for New Yorkers, hotels, should
be for tourists. It’s as simple as that,” Kallos
said Monday, standing alongside advocates
in the shadow of City Hall.
“Every renter had to pay an extra $384
more in increased rent due to the expansion
of Airbnb from 2015 to 2017, he added.
“Now this spike in rent actually forced me
and my wife to move during a high risk
pregnancy and I didn’t know until today
where the spike came from. There were
37,000 units on Airbnb in February, and
half of them listed entire homes, which is
not allowed in buildings with three or more
units under state law, short-term rentals are
restricted to less than 30 days where the
City Councilman Ben Kallos speaks about the illegal hotel bill prior to a City
Council hearing on Sept. 13, 2021.
resident is home at the time.”
In addition to contributing to the housing
shortage, Kallos also believes safety of
these rented spaces should also be called
into question. Kallos feels that the devastation
wrought by the remnants of Hurricane
Ida proves that rooms which haven’t been
properly inspected can lead to the loss of
life. Not only that, he also affi rms that if
these residential properties are prevented
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
from being rented in the short-term, unhoused
New Yorkers will be given more
housing options.
Following the conference, dozens of
individuals entered City Hall where they
testifi ed to members of City Council, hoping
to aid the bill’s passage before 2022.
The afternoon was spent recounting the
impact illegal hotels have on neighborhoods
in which they are found and the people
within them, with the promise of affordable
housing being of the most signifi cant
facing factors.
“This legislation, by requiring hosts to
apply for and obtain a registration number
in order to operate a short-term rental business
in New York, is essential to preserve
our affordable housing,” Vivian Abuelo of
the Coalition Against Illegal Hotels said.
During the hearing, Kyle Ishmael
represented Airbnb and gave a testimony
on the Int. 2309, underscoring that the
company supports the concept behind the
bill; however, they are calling for amendments
to be implemented so that it does
not place undue burden onto New Yorkers
trying to responsibly seek out ways
to earn extra money throughout the year,
such as imposing expensive or redundant
requirements.
Joy Williams owns a townhouse in Harlem
and shares her home through Airbnb
in order to maintain it. She cautioned the
council against passing legislation that
would “handcuff” property owners looking
to maintain affordability of their own
homes.
“I own my townhouse in Harlem and
share my home in order to afford to maintain
it. Airbnb hosts are afraid of the City’s
inconsistent, confusing and intimidating
policies around home-sharing and this bill
would only make it worse,” Williams said
in her testimony.
Nick Cave’s larger-than-life mosaic
aims to move subway riders
BY ANGELA MOORE
REUTERS
Larger-than-life, vibrant,
glass mosaic murals are
set to grab the attention
of even the most jaded New York
City subway rider.
U.S. artist Nick Cave, best
known for his Soundsuits of
head-to-toe costumes made with a
variety of fabrics, textures, colors
and patterns, has used the same
concept in an installation of the
permanent, two-dimensional,
mosaic display.
The sprawling mural called
“Every One” was unveiled by
New York City’s Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA)
on Friday. First of a three-piece
installation, the others titled
“Each One” and “Equal All,” will
be completed early next year.
Nick Cave’s glass mosaics at the Bryant Park subway station.
“Every One” is a mosaic and
video installation that runs
along the corridor under 42nd
Street connecting the Times
Square and Bryant Park subway
stations.
“I’m sure everyone was wondering
how is this all going to
SCREENSHOT VIA REUTERS
translate from, you know, the
sort of fi ber materials into mosaic
glass,” Cave told Reuters from his
studio in Chicago.
Seeing the mosaic for the fi rst
time after it was installed, Cave
said, “I was … blown away. It was
epic.”
“As you’re walking and passing
through, it is moving along with
you,” Cave said. “My idea … was
that it operated the same way in
which the people were moving
through the space.”
The new artwork covers 3,200
square feet and includes more
than two dozen Soundsuits.
When completed, the three installations
will cover 4,600 square
feet and will extend from the
Times Square to Grand Central
subway stations.
It will be Cave’s largest, permanent
public art and the largest
mosaic project in the NYC transit
system, according to the MTA.
The art was unveiled as part
of a public campaign to welcome
riders back to the subway after
the COVID-19 lockdown and to
encourage the use of mass transit.
“For me, this presents a new
direction,” the artist said.
10 September 16, 2021 Schneps Media