The DC 37 Contract's Affect on the Housing Market
As part of the recent contract between the city and its largest union, DC 37, the Bloomberg administration agreed to revise a rule from 1986 that mandated employees working for the city also live here. Now, if the City Council agrees, DC 37 members – 120,000 in all – will be able to move to…
As part of the recent contract between the city and its largest union, DC 37, the Bloomberg administration agreed to revise a rule from 1986 that mandated employees working for the city also live here. Now, if the City Council agrees, DC 37 members – 120,000 in all – will be able to move to the surrounding suburbs.
The Sun’s editorial page likes this part of the agreement, and predicts that the decrease in demand will result in lower housing prices. In an article in the same paper, Nicole Gelinas, fellow at the Manhattan Institute, subscribed to the same theory.
El Diario says the agreement is an acknowledgment by Bloomberg that “the cost of living here is out of control, and renting or owning a decent home is less of a reality every day for many people. It underscores the need for more affordable housing in the city, despite the administration`s gains in this area.”
Mayor Announces Agreement [City Hall]
Fact Sheet on Residency Requirements [DC 37]
How can anyone afford to live here anymore? who cares where you live, be concerned with who is doing a good job or bad job. With the salary that the city pays, each of us will be forced out and then you to will have wished the restriction was lifted. Just think of this, the restriction is currently lifted for “certain” specialized job titles…well who do you think are filling in those spots…NEWSFLASH, its not the poorer, home grown, people of color.So why would you make it possible for them , yet not your own. Just wait until landlords starting turning rentals into condos,co-ops, & mortgages, you will be forced to commute yourself. If you want to be fair, it should be the same rules for everyone, if not, then abolish the requirement. Times have change, WAKE UP!.
Wow! That is some twisty logic. I think, iceberg, you need to buy your own island or something. Become a nation unto yourself. Economics aside, no country can survive unless there is a certain common ground that works for all of us. This is not sociology 101- it’s anthropology 101- our very social structure evolved as a means of protection and strength. In fact, the very society you seem to think is robbing you of your wealth, is the very society that has allowed you the freedom to amass that wealth. Civilizations don’t work unless all their parts work together- that means while there is a certain unfairness built in, you have to take the long view. Beyond that there are human characteristics (like compassion) that wealth does not address- in fact may even work against, if your attitude is typical. Frankly I don’t see how you can separate wealth creation from job creation. Not to mention that all those lovely yachts you want have to be “created.” Ergo, job creation is fundamental to wealth. And yes wealth is the ability to fulfill your needs and desires- but in reality, there are necessary boundaries. Your robber who spends locally is creating wealth for himself and fulfilling his personal needs. In fact you might say he is also engaged in job creation, albeit for himself. The law creates a boundary that says robbery is a crime. In other words, it isn’t such a good thing to be allowed to fill your every desire or need because someone else can get hurt. More reality: would that theory always work in reality. People are so much more complex than any theory of social or economic interaction can account for. We see it all the time- new theories every other day, shock that old ones don’t apply. All those fine and dandy numbers, and philosophies are no competition for the reality of human society. Some work all of the time, all work some of the time (sorry Mr. Lincoln), but everything remains in a constant state of flux.
And lets not forget that income earned here in the city is income spent here in the city. Which adds even more jobs to the economy and also source of (income and sales) tax revenue for the city.
It’s “effect” not “affect” (just like it’s usually “its” not “it’s”. It’s = it is; its is the possessive). This is just a pet peeve of mine.
And I prefer my clerical work in NYC handled by NYC residents, just as I prefer my cops, firefighters, subway employees, sanitation workers, etc., to live in this city as well. I feel they have more of a vested interest in doing a good job than would people who don’t actually live here and also that they can understand NYC residents’ concerns and priorities better. I don’t think that the lowest cost for this work represents necessarily the best value for my tax dollars, and I don’t mind paying a bit more in taxes to pay for it.
Petebklyn,
I don’t THINK the residency change will only apply to employees in titles covered by DC 37. I imagine it will apply to other unions and to managerial employees. Nevertheless, even higher paid City employees are not THAT highly paid. Not too many can afford brownstones anymore. The days of what Everett Ortner called “the schoolteacher’s coup” are long gone. I’m soooo glad my wife and I bought our house when the term still applied.
DC37 employees are fairly low paid and doubt very many could afford to move somewhere outside city and commute.
Lower rent apts are not more plentiful in Nassau.
Both the Sun and Manhattan Institute are pretty right-wing orgs.
I’m a retired City employee (I was Personel Director for a City agency).
I always favored the residency requirement for numerous reasons–I think City employees should spend their money here and show a committment to the city by living here. I was also angered by the fact that most counties adjoining the City excluded NYC residents fromemployment in THEIR local governments.
Nevertheless, I think eliminating the residency requirement will have a very modest effect on housing prices. Its not as if a quarter million NYC employees are going to move to the burbs overnight. Furthermore, many City employees share my personal belief that NYC is the center of the universe and, like me, would NEVER move 🙂