Goldstein Hall attorneys have more than twenty-five years of collective experience representing limited equity and tenant-sponsored cooperative Housing Development Fund Corporations (HDFCs). We understand the unique needs of HDFC shareholders and are dedicated to helping HDFCs resolve issues and overcome challenges in a time- and cost-effective manner. Goldstein Hall offers legal services covering virtually all matters involving HDFCs, and we are also a resource to help HDFCs stay abreast of law and policy changes impacting their buildings.

HDFC News
COVID-19 and HDFCs in New York City
by Rachel D. Jaffe

As you have heard relentlessly over the past week or two, there is increased concern that COVID-19, aka novel coronavirus, will become a pandemic. The likelihood of “community spread” is now only a question of when and how. Current events raise questions and concerns for HDFC buildings, which are typically multifamily apartment complexes housing all kinds of persons, including older persons and those with compromised immune systems, in close proximity to families including young children. Shareholders may have concerns about how their HDFC community should address the virus. Empowerment comes from collective action and collective responsibility. Working with your neighbors on a common goal can bolster everyone during this difficult time. 

One of the best things HDFCs can do right now is to open lines of communication with all occupants via email, notes left on doors, or the telephone—no gatherings or any in-person meetings under these circumstances. Then, HDFCs should disseminate common-sense guidelines among all HDFC residents. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website has a variety of posters that HDFCs can hang up in prominent locations around the building to promote best practices among residents.
Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019
and Its Impact on HDFCs
by Rachel D. Jaffe

On June 14, 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 . Because a cooperative is a landlord and shareholders are tenants under the proprietary lease structure, the new laws’ prohibitions for landlords impacts some of the HDFC Board’s abilities to remove shareholders from occupancy. This newsletter article examines situations in which an HDFC may be forced to take a shareholder to Housing Court, such as for the nonpayment of maintenance and holdovers for violations of a provision of the proprietary lease or the warranty of habitability for noise, vermin or hoarding conditions, among other reasons. 
HDFC Practice Group Leader: Rachel D. Jaffe
Rachel D. Jaffe’s practice largely consists of affordable housing and community development, not-for-profit law, real estate finance, and Housing Development Fund Corporations (HDFCs).

Prior to joining Goldstein Hall, Rachel was a Senior Vice President and Counsel for a New York title insurance underwriter for five years. Prior to practicing in the private for-profit world, Rachel maintained a transactional legal practice as the Community Economic Development Attorney at Housing Conservation Coordinators (HCC) for six years. Her HCC legal practice included co-op share transfers, including HDFC limited equity co-op transfers, co-op corporate governance matters, contract negotiations, tenant relocation agreements, matters related to eminent domain, basic wills, elder law and rent-regulated tenancy issues. She also had an administrative law practice that included client representation at real estate-related hearings before various New York State and New York City agencies and a special proceedings practice in civil court (Article 81 guardianship proceedings, Article 78 appeals of administrative hearings).
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