Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz joined Governor David Paterson, bill sponsors Senator John Sampson, Assembly Members Inez Barron and Vito Lopez, and other elected officials and community members as Paterson signed legislation that would extend the affordable housing program in the 5,881-unit Starrett City complex for an additional 30 years.
The new law would also permit complex owners, through refinancing, to make $40 million worth of capital improvements to the buildings, facilities and interiors without raising rent, thus maintaining Starrett City’s status in the Mitchell-Lama program.
“It is our unrivaled economic and ethnic diversity that defines life in Brooklyn and New York City — and Starrett City is the gold standard of that diversity,” said Markowitz.
“I have been proud to stand with tenants, advocates and all our public officials in the fight to preserve it — and I applaud the work of Governor David Paterson, Senator John Sampson, Assembly Members Vito Lopez and Inez Barron, Brooklyn’s own HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, who have added to the laudable efforts of Senator Charles Schumer, Congressman Ed Towns and Council Member Charles Barron to ensure Starrett remains in Mitchell-Lama and continues to be the model for diverse, urban living in Brooklyn and America.”