Questions linger about renters at Queens councilmember's home

Also, a new Brooklyn migrant shelter gets mixed reactions from locals. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] Here Now [Councilmember Paladino champions landlords while questions linger about renters in her Queens home]( [Mayor Eric Adams, in light blue pants and a white short-sleeved colored shirt with the word mayor on the back, speaks to a crowd at the Intrepid Museum’s Memorial Day ceremony]( A Queens councilmember known for confronting rule-breaking renters in her district has spent years barring inspectors from entering her own Whitestone home amid dozens of complaints that she’s illegally renting to tenants, a Gothamist investigation found. New York City building officials say they have received at least 24 complaints about illegal apartment conversions and tenants renting out space in the attic, basement and other floors of the stately home owned by Councilmember Vickie Paladino and her husband since 2005. The [Department of Buildings]( [reports]( show inspectors have never managed to investigate the claims because occupants either prohibited them from entering, or because no one was home — including during an attempted visit Monday. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week New BK migrant center draws criticism from local residents as city says they’ve run out of space The new Sunset Park migrant shelter housed inside of a recreation center is drawing mixed reactions from community members and elected officials. With the city saying there’s no more space to house newly-arrived migrants, Adams floated the idea of [utilizing Central Park]( and other green spaces, and announced [revived plans for a shelter]( open on Randall’s Island. [Read more.]( City officials grilled about migrant crisis efforts before meeting with Adams Before attending a recent meeting with the mayor, Queens elected officials were required to fill out a checklist of nine questions to assess what they themselves had done to help the city address the crisis. [Read more.]( Queens food vendors hold rally after Corona Plaza sweep Dozens of Corona Plaza vendors are criticizing the Adams administration for the abrupt crackdown on recent enforcement despite working with city officials and agencies for months to address concerns of overcrowding and cleanliness. [Read more.]( NYC real-time bike map bill passes the City Council The New York City Council voted Thursday in favor of a bill that requires the Department of Transportation to create a searchable, real-time map showing all of the city’s bike lanes. [Read more.]( NY lawmakers give out free ice cream to garner support for HEAT bill The month-long campaign will bring frozen treats to the streets of NYC to rally support for the HEAT Act, a bill designed to phase out natural gas infrastructure and put a lid on rising energy costs. [Read more.]( Temp worker law in NJ now fully in effect despite pushback The state’s new law, which was fully implemented as of Saturday, formalizes protections for workers playing an increasingly central role to product manufacturing, packaging of goods and food distribution. [Read more.]( Outdoor dining program in NYC here to stay Born out of the pandemic, the popular outdoor dining program was made permanent by the City Council on Thursday, but it does come with new rules, including the need for restaurants to obtain a four-year, $1,050 permit to operate seating outside. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast] [Charlie Sykes on Trump’s 'I’m Coming After You' Threat and The Republican Primaries]( With charges officially filed against former President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, how are conservatives, including his voters, thinking about his 2024 campaign? [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list