One Brooklyn
July 16, 2015
BOROUGH PRESIDENT LABELS BROOKLYN “GROUND ZERO” FOR DISPLACEMENT AND TENANT HARASSMENT, VOWS TO HOLD GOVERNOR CUOMO ACCOUNTABLE FOR WEAKER RENT LAWS
BROOKLYN, NY, July 16, 2015: Yesterday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams held a roundtable with a group of Brooklyn elected officials and tenant advocates to map out a plan to push for changes to the recently approved rent laws negotiated by Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Senate Republicans, out of concern that they lack urgently needed protections to address the continued hemorrhaging of affordable housing units in the borough. Under the current deal, it has been estimated that the city could lose almost 90,000 rent-regulated apartments. The roundtable focused on the possibility of halting the vacancy bonus, or rent increases that landlords are entitled to once rent-regulated apartments become vacant. Brooklyn elected officials also discussed developing a “Tenant Roadmap” that would seek to protect tenants in the upcoming year, including coordinated actions to combat tenant harassment.
“The number one issue for Brooklynites is affordable housing, and every elected official must be judged on their commitment to its preservation and expansion,” said Borough President Adams. “Brooklyn is ground zero for the displacement and harassment of tenants which is contributing extensively to our critical losses of affordable housing in the borough. I am pleased that there is a core group of local leaders that are uniting to strategize and coordinate best practices that will lead to legislating, litigating, and organizing success.”
Borough President Adams was joined at the roundtable by State Senator Jesse Hamilton, Assembly Members Maritza Davila, Walter Mosley, Diana Richardson, Annette Robinson, and Latrice Walker, as well as Council Members Robert Cornegy, Jr., Antonio Reynoso, and Jumaane D. Williams. Advocates in attendance included representatives from Alliance for Tenant Power, Community Service Society, Legal Aid Society, Make the Road New York, New York Communities for Change, Tenants and Neighbors, and Working Families Party.
“Across Brooklyn, we confront an affordable housing crisis,” said State Senator Hamilton. “This roundtable serves as part of an effort to respond to that crisis. By helping connect city and state legislators with tenant advocates, we gained an opportunity to learn from one another’s experience, share best practices, and forge new partnerships. Thanks to Borough President Adams for convening this meeting and thanks to all the participants for their contributions. Working together, we can strengthen protections for tenants and ensure that tenants can vindicate their right to safe, affordable, and livable housing.”
“It is imperative that we continue our vigilance of the housing injustice that is transpiring in my district and throughout Brooklyn,” said Assembly Member Davila. “I thank Borough President Eric Adams for bringing us together to exchange ideas and to share experiences from our districts. In my district, Council Member Reynoso, other electeds, and I have initiated a pilot program that has successfully saved many affordable units. However, we still have a lot of work to do to unite New York City’s elected officials so that we can fight even harder in Albany for affordable housing. I commend the Brooklyn Borough President on his leadership with this and I look forward to continuing to work together as a borough to preserve our communities.”
“I am very pleased to have taken part in last night’s panel,” said Assembly Member Richardson. “Housing is the most vital issue facing our community, and we need to act together in making a concerted push to reopen the discussion on rent regulations. I have seen first-hand how dire our affordable housing crisis is through outreach to my constituents, and I am proud to stand with my fellow elected officials as we work to bring relief to the people of Brooklyn.”
“Stabilized housing, rent regulations and the building of affordable housing provide families with shelter and security,” said Assembly Member Robinson. “The de-stabilization of housing by greedy landlords and the harassment of tenants and illegal evictions will not be tolerated and must come to an end. This must be a City for ALL people not just the rich and famous.”
“Evictions, sky-rocketing rent, buy-out pressure, rejection of housing vouchers, lack of maintenance – these issues dominate constituents’ pleas to my office,” said Council Member Cornegy. “Brooklyn’s tenants are under pressure from every side, so elected officials and advocates must be united in their defense. I commend Borough President Adams for convening the roundtable, and look forward to participating vigorously as this movement grows in number and effectiveness.”
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