The Westchester Brief | 06.23.26: Erase the Racist Clause in Your Deed

The Westchester Brief | 06.23.26: Erase the Racist Clause in Your Deed

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/fan_mail/new] For decades, thousands of Westchester County deeds have carried restrictive covenants, clauses that once barred homes from being sold to people of certain races, religions, or ethnic backgrounds. They've been unenforceable since 1948, but the language stayed in the records. This episode explains a new process, effective June 3 under New York Real Property Law Section 327-a, that lets property owners formally redact those discriminatory covenants from their recorded deeds through the Westchester County Clerk's office, how the administrative process works, and why so few residents know it exists. In This Episode: (0:00) The sentence buried in your deed (1:00) What restrictive covenants are and how they spread (2:30) The new law: Section 327-a and the Clerk's form (3:45) How the redaction process actually works (5:00) Quick hit: the county's $25 million Housing Flex Fund II Sources: Westchester County Clerk (Land Records Forms, RPL Section 327-a redaction); New York Real Property Law Section 327-a. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share this episode with a neighbor. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/support] I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media. We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong. Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us? Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com Website: www.iliveheremedia.com [https://www.iliveheremedia.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia [https://www.instagram.com/iliveheremedia/] Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

The Westchester Brief | 06.22.26: The Primary That Decides Your County

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/fan_mail/new] Tomorrow's Democratic primary will settle several Westchester County races outright, yet turnout will be a fraction of the electorate. This episode breaks down what's actually on the June 23 ballot, from State Comptroller and the 17th Congressional District to two County Board of Legislators seats, town supervisor races in Greenburgh and North Castle, and the Larchmont mayor, and explains why a low-turnout primary gives the voters who show up outsized power over a $2.5 billion county budget and your local tax rate. In This Episode: (0:00) Why tomorrow's primary is the real election (1:30) What's on the ballot: Comptroller, NY-17, and the local races (3:30) What these offices actually control (4:30) Turnout, your ballot, and how to check it (5:00) Quick hit: the Rent Guidelines Board's final vote Sources: New York State Board of Elections (June 23, 2026 primary certification); Westchester County Board of Elections (early voting and polling locations); Black Westchester (2026 primary candidate guide). Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/support] I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media. We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong. Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us? Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com Website: www.iliveheremedia.com [https://www.iliveheremedia.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia [https://www.instagram.com/iliveheremedia/] Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

The Friday Intel | 06.19.26: The World Cup Comes Home

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/fan_mail/new] The World Cup final will be played 12 miles from Westchester County — and the data says this region is less a bystander than a home team. This week on The Friday Intel, we map Westchester's actual slice of a $3.3 billion tournament: the overflow economics, the matchday-train rules that will strand anyone who waits, and the surprising demographic finding that reframes the whole thing — Port Chester is nearly 46% foreign-born, almost double the county rate, with about 90% from Latin America. When Mexico or Brazil plays at MetLife, it's a home game for entire Westchester neighborhoods. In This Episode: - Cold Open — 0:00 - Intro & Context — 0:30 - The Data: $3.3B, 1M+ visitors, the overflow play, the transit gauntlet — 1:30 - The Surprise: the World Cup comes home — 3:30 - What This Means For You — 5:00 - Close — 6:00 Sources: NY/NJ Host Committee & NJBIZ (economic impact); NJ Transit (matchday rail plan); U.S. Census / Statistical Atlas (Port Chester demographics); Westchester Magazine (county immigrant communities; Kanopi pop-up); Front Office Sports (hotel "rate event"). Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/support] I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media. We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong. Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us? Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com Website: www.iliveheremedia.com [https://www.iliveheremedia.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia [https://www.instagram.com/iliveheremedia/] Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

The Westchester Brief | 06.18.26: The Rent Vote Is Monday Night

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/fan_mail/new] On Monday, June 22, the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board votes on how much more tens of thousands of rent-stabilized tenants pay starting October 1. The nine-member board — three tenant, three landlord, three public members, all appointed by the County Executive — is decided by its three "neutral" public seats. The hearings across Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and White Plains are done; the vote is four days out. We explain how the board works, what the landlords and tenants are arguing, and why last year's 2% and 3% outcome is the number to watch. In This Episode: (0:00) Nine people, one room, and tens of thousands of renters (0:20) The data: the board's 3-3-3 structure, the County Executive's appointments, and last year's 2%/3% vote (4:20) Quick hit: Metro-North's proposed 500-space North White Plains garage (5:00) Close Sources: Yonkers Times ("Rent Guideline Board to Hold Public Hearings and Meetings"); NYS Homes and Community Renewal (RGB hearings/livestream); Westfair / Building and Realty Institute (landlord position). Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor. Tags: Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, White Plains, rent stabilization, Rent Guidelines Board, housing Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/support] I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media. We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong. Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us? Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com Website: www.iliveheremedia.com [https://www.iliveheremedia.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia [https://www.instagram.com/iliveheremedia/] Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

The Westchester Brief | 06.17.26: Yonkers' 4.75% Tax Hike

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/fan_mail/new] Yonkers calls itself "Hollywood on the Hudson," but the city's new $1.64 billion budget still raised the combined property tax rate 4.75%. On May 29 the City Council unanimously adopted the largest budget in Yonkers history, trimming Mayor Mike Spano's proposed 5.25% increase but preserving all services and its workforce with help from $55 million in state aid. We explain why a development boom hasn't eased the homeowner's bill — and why the timing, days before the June 23 primary, matters. In This Episode: (0:00) "Hollywood on the Hudson," and a tax bill that went up anyway (0:25) The data: a $1.64B budget, a 4.75% rate increase, $55M in state aid, and the growth-versus-tax-base question (4:15) Quick hit: the World Cup arrives at MetLife (5:00) Close Sources: Yonkers Times ("City of Yonkers Adopts 2026-27 Budget; Tax Increase Reduced to 4.75%"); Westfair (Spano FY2026–27 executive budget); News 12 Westchester (state aid and council vote). Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com. Tags: Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, Yonkers, property taxes, city budget, Mike Spano Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468485/support] I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media. We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong. Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us? Email: jimjockle@iliveheremedia.com Website: www.iliveheremedia.com [https://www.iliveheremedia.com/] Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia [https://www.instagram.com/iliveheremedia/] Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.