New York City Residents Spend Almost 60 Percent Of Income On Rent

[From article]
City residents are now shelling out nearly 60 percent of their income to live here, according to a new study by the website StreetEasy.
The median monthly city rent is set to hit $2,700 — or more than 58 percent of residents’ median income.
And surprisingly, Manhattanites aren’t the worst off.
Residents of Brooklyn must grapple with the highest median rent cost — 60 percent. They’re followed by those in The Bronx at 52 percent, Manhattan at 48.8 percent, Queens at 41.4 percent and Staten Island at 30.1 percent.

http://nypost.com/2015/03/03/new-yorkers-spend-nearly-60-of-income-on-rent-study/

New Yorkers spend nearly 60% of income on rent: study
By Jennifer Gould Keil
New York Post
March 3, 2015 | 5:43am

Harvard University Rents Out Public Land For Profit

Harvard University likes to think of the "Science Plaza" as their own private property. It is still city owned land, which the city allows Harvard to administer. Harvard not only uses public land for fund raising dinners among alumni, but now it also rents out public land for mobile retail food sales. 

[From article]
With the goal of finding the perfect combination for Harvard diners, Harvard Campus Services continues to experiment with the selection of food trucks serving in the Science Center Plaza under the University’s Common Spaces Initiative.
For years, Harvard has been bringing food trucks from local companies to the plaza, and Campus Services continues to experiment with the diversity of offerings.
[. . .]
The daily combination of food trucks available is determined by a strict schedule controlled by Campus Services. Each individual food truck company is told exactly which days of the week they can operate in the Science Center Plaza. As part of the agreement between Harvard and the trucks, food trucks must pay a $50 fee each day they conduct business in the plaza.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2015/4/24/food-trucks-science-plaza/

Campus Services Seeks Optimal Food Trucks
By HANL H. PARK and LARA C. TANG
Harvard CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
April 24, 2015

Online Sublet Turns Into Nightmare Tenant

Two stories about tenants from hell

[From article]
The Thompsons, whose main residence is in Wiltshire, had been renting out their flat in London’s trendy Shoreditch for some time to people they believed to be good tenants.
However, it emerged that their tenants had tried to make a quick profit by subletting the property through popular room rental site Airbnb.
[. . .]
However, critics like Katherine and Jon Thompson are concerned that too few checks are made by the company to safeguard the security — financial and personal — of property owners and holidaymakers alike.
Police were unable to evict the 25 teenage revellers on New Year’s Day as they had a document from Airbnb proving they had paid rent.
And Airbnb did not, certainly in the immediate aftermath, offer a great deal of support to the Thompsons as they tried to find out what had been going on in their London apartment.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2700812/Would-dare-turn-spare-room-hotel-strangers-Millions-website-thats-global-hit-But-badly-wrong.html

Would you dare turn your spare room into a hotel for strangers? Millions do on a website that's a global hit. But it can go badly wrong
By BETH HALE and HELEN CARROLL
Daily Mail (UK)
PUBLISHED: 20:02 EST, 21 July 2014 | UPDATED: 03:26 EST, 22 July 2014

* * *

[From article]
The San Francisco-based rehabilitation therapist has used Airbnb without issue for about a year so when 'Maksym' asked to rent the condo for an extended period - a total of 44 days - she thought it would be fine.
[. . .]
He threatened to press charges for 'blackmail and damages caused by your negligence and malicious misconduct, including $3,800 PID Espresso machine as well as medical bills for my brother's hospital visit after he got sick here drinking unfiltered tap water.'
Tschogl researched the situation online and was advised by other landlords to hire a lawyer, who told her that in California, once someone rents a property for 30 days, that person is considered a tenant on a month-to-month lease. She couldn't just ask authorities to kick him out.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2700705/Airbnb-user-turns-squatter-Woman-facing-legal-battle-vacationer-Palm-Springs-home.html

Airbnb user turns squatter: Woman facing legal battle to get vacationer out of her Palm Springs home
Cory Tschogl, 39, says she agreed to rent her 600-square-foot condo to 'Maksym' for 44 days
But the day he checked in he demanded a refund because the tap water was cloudy
She agreed because she suspected he was shady and contacted Airbnb who failed to respond for two days
When the renter refused to leave the condo she begged Airbnb for help through scores of emails and phone calls but the accommodation marketplace failed to get him out
The guest now has renters' protection under California law because he's been there longer than 30 days
It'll take three to six months, a lawyer and thousands of dollars to evict him
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 18:06 EST, 21 July 2014 | UPDATED: 18:13 EST, 21 July 2014

Cambridge Out Of the Blue Gallery Holds Fund Raiser

[From article]
The next fundraiser is Saturday, July 26, at noon at Out of the Blue Gallery, 106 Prospect St. It will kick off with a sidewalk sale of items by Leather Pixie, followed by a barbecue and acoustic music at 5 p.m. Suggested donation is $10 per person.
Tipton has not determined the dates of future fundraisers.

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/a8l4uo. For more information, visit outoftheblueartgallery.com.

http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/article/20140724/NEWS/140728282

High rent forces Cambridge's Out of the Blue gallery to find new home
By Sara Feijo
Posted Jul. 24, 2014 @ 10:29 am
CAMBRIDGE Chronicle

Rent Free Use of City Land

What is referred to as "the Science Center plaza" is owned by the City of Cambridge. Will rental fees for city land be collected by Harvard administrators and given to city taxpayers? Is this an example of Harvard's largess providing city land rent free to food trucks to enhance the ambiance of walking across this piece of public land? 

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/9/26/farmers-market-trucks-oxford-plaza/

Truckers, Farmers Banished to Oxford Street
By KERRY M. FLYNN and MAYA JONAS-SILVER,
Harvard CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2012

NYC Cuts Rent Funding to Homeless

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/city-may-face-increase-in-homeless-costs-report-says/?partner=rss&emc=rss

March 18, 2011, 4:00 pm
City May Face Increase in Homeless Costs, Report Says
By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ
New York Times