On Tuesday, December 5, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz joined City Councilwoman Leticia James, representatives from the office of State Senator Carl Andrews, the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, and Tenants and Neighbors to congratulate the Tivoli Towers Tenants Association on the recent legal victory that keeps the development in the Mitchell-Lama program until the year 2024.

In the 50 years since it was launched, the Mitchell-Lama program has created close to 150,000 units of affordable housing mostly in New York City, but the changing landscape of the city’s real estate market and the increasing trend of “buyouts”, that allow landlords to take apartments out of the program under certain conditions, has put the future of 114,000 affordable housing units in question.

In 2005, after learning that Tivoli Towers was to be sold, tenants mobilized and, with the help of Borough President Markowitz, the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, and the law firm of Collins, Dobkins, and Miller, unearthed a mandate in the original deed requiring that the building remain in the Mitchell-Lama program until the year 2024. This past summer an administrative decision by the New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) supported the tenants’ findings. Last weeks ruling on a lawsuit filed by the building’s prospective owner, the Manhattan State Supreme Court upheld the administrative decision made by HPD to enforce a restrictive covenant which prevents a buyout from the Mitchell-Lama program at this time.

“The tenants of Tivoli Towers should be proud of their collective triumph and the example they have set for millions of New Yorkers struggling against soaring housing costs,” said Borough President Markowitz. “I hope this victory fires them up as they fight to improve living conditions in the building.”

"I would like to congratulate the Tivoli Towers Residents Association and all who worked in assuring this victory for affordable housing today,” said Senator Andrews.  “Tivoli Towers will remain in the Mitchell-Lama program due to the perseverance of its Tenant Leadership. At a time when affordable housing is becoming a scarce commodity in New York City we owe it to every citizen to continue to fight to preserve the affordability of housing. It was my pleasure working with the Tenants of Tivoli Towers, elected officials and the various advocacy groups in securing this victory today."

“I’ve been working with the Tivoli Towers Tenants Association for four years”, said City Councilwoman Leticia James. “This is a temporary victory because the quality of life in the building must be improved. I celebrate the victory for affordable housing but the battle has not been won.”

“I would like to thank the Borough President’s Mitchell-Lama task force, all of the elected officials, and members of New York City’s affordable housing community,” said Tivoli Towers Tenants Association President Alice Mitchell. “I have been at Tivoli Towers for 22 years and we will continue to fight for the safety and improvement of our homes.”