Rental vouchers aren’t perfect — and shouldn’t be

January 15, 2026 / no comments

Landlords and the state comptroller don’t see eye to eye on the city’s $1.2 billion rental voucher system. Landlords say voucher placements are often denied because of small infractions like a cracked outlet plate or a window guard missing one screw. Yet a comptroller’s audit last week warned that vouchers are being approved for apartments with “serious hazards” like a defective window guard and roach infestations. Both sides are correct, but the comptroller needs a reality check. In a program this large, some inspectors will be human and others will be hard-asses. The humans approve tenant placements in units with […]

This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.

The Daily Dirt: New York takes on environmental review

January 15, 2026 / no comments

New York is taking a crack at reforming its environmental review process.    Gov. Kathy Hochul wants the state to change what projects are subject to the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA. As is often the case with the State of the State addresses, Tuesday’s was light on details about this proposal. We’ll probably have to wait until next week, when the governor is expected to roll out her executive budget proposals, to get into the weeds on what she envisions. (Unless someone wants to leak some bill language?)  A spokesperson for the governor indicated that the proposal seeks […]

This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.

NYC’s top deals: Blackstone offloads Flushing mall, condo complex for $424M

January 15, 2026 / no comments

There were 222 transactions totaling $717 million recorded in New York City in the 24 hours before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. 🏆Residential: The top home sale to hit records in the Big Apple was in Midtown, where a condo at 171 West 57th Street changed hands for $5.8 million. Blue Icarus LLC had bought the pad for 3.3 million in 2020; the unit’s new owner is Tomco Holdings LLC. The four-bedroom condo measures 2,800 square feet. The deal works out to roughly $2,100 per square foot. The seller had first put the unit on the market in […]

This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.

Arizona Governor Wants To Drop Tax Incentives For Data Centers

January 15, 2026 / no comments

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is pushing to cut down on lucrative state tax incentives for data centers.
The Arizona Department of Revenue estimated the incentives lose the state $38M a year.
“It’s time we make the booming data center industry work for the people of our state, rather than the other way around,” Hobbs said during her State of the State address on Monday, which opened the state legislature’s 2026 season.
The incentives, along with inexpensive power, have been key to building the region’s status as a booming data center market.
Companies that spend at least $50M on the construction or expansion of a…