No-fee listings on the rise, Barclays Center's role in BLM protests, & more

By Austin Havens-Bowen | June 17, 2020 - 10:30AM

The Barclays Center, once loathed as a symbol of gentrification, is now the focal point for Black Lives Matter protests (The New York Times)

The percentage of rental listings on RentHop with no broker fee has increased to 64 percent as a result of the pandemic, according to a recent report (press release)

A pro-development group is pushing the city to go forward with rezoning plans for Gowanus to create more affordable housing (The Real Deal)

Mayor Bill de Blasio says NYC playgrounds will remain closed until Phase 2 of reopening (amNewYork)

In May, 24 percent of NYC rentals were discounted, compared to 15 percent in May 2019, per a new StreetEasy report (press release)

An affordable housing lottery has opened for 494 apartments in the South Bronx (Bronx Times)

Austin Havens-Bowen

Staff Writer

Staff writer Austin Havens-Bowen covers the rental market and answers renters' questions in a column called Realty Bites. He previously reported on local news for the Queens Ledger and The Hunts Point Express in the Bronx. He graduated from Hunter College with a BA in media studies. He rents a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria with his boyfriend and their two cats.

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