Monday, April 16, 2012

Supporters of RGB Reform on City Hall Steps

4:13 PM  SPG  

Tenants thronged R3's press conference with Senator Daniel Squadron, and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh, sponsors of A06394/S0741, and many other elected officials (see fuller list below!)

On Monday, April 16, 2012, the Real Rent Reform campaign gathered with community leaders and elected allies to speak out about the urgent need for Rent Guidelines Board reform. R3 stood on the steps of City Hall to support S741A / A6394B, a piece of legislation sponsored by Brian Kavanagh in the Assembly and Daniel Squadron in the Senate. This bill would require City Council confirmation of the Mayor’s appointees to the RGB, bringing necessary checks and balances to the system and making the appointment process more democratic.   Click on the links to see reports by:  New York Post,  New York 1,  CBS, New York Observer, and WFUV.


The bill would also make more New Yorkers eligible to serve as public members and ensure that diversified views are represented on the RGB by including new professions among those qualified for appointment. Altogether, this reform legislation would bring more accountability and better representation to a board that has suffered from dysfunction for far too long.


Dozens of tenants and advocates crowded onto the City Hall steps, including members of Tenants & Neighbors, New York Communities for Change, GOLES, CAAAV, the Cooper Square Committee, Housing Conservation Coordinators, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Pratt 
Area Community Council, UHAB, the Goddard SRO Law Project, ANHD, Legal Aid, VOCAL and many more. In addition to the bill's sponsors (Brian Kavanagh and Daniel Squadron), we 
were joined by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, Council Members Jumaane Williams, Jessica Lappin and Margeret Chin, and a representative from Council Member Daniel Garodnick’s office. After the press conference, tenants joined together to chant, "Fight, fight fight!  Housing is a right!"

Specifically, the Rent Guidelines Board more professional and accountable by:
  • Making the RGB public members more qualified, with at least 5 years' experience in public service, social services, urban planning, social sciences, finance, economics or housing. 
  • Requiring the advice and consent of the City Council for all the Mayor's appointments to the board.


Next,  join us for these events: 

Tenant Mobilization in Albany

Wednesday, April 18

Meet at Tenants & Neighbors office (236 W. 27th Street)

Depart 8 AM, return by early evening

Join us in Albany to celebrate the passage of five bills
through the Assembly Housing Committee.

Rent Control Rally
Friday, April 20
Goddard Riverside Senior Center
593 Columbus at 88th Street
11:30 AM
Rally with rent control tenants and allies in support of bills A1892/S5699 to protect
rent controlled tenants from unaffordable rent increases.

Preliminary RGB Vote Rally
Tuesday, May 1
7 E. 7th Street
5 PM
Join tenants and allies to rally outside the Rent Guidelines Board’s preliminary vote,
and demand that the RGB be held accountable to tenants.  
Click here for the flyer in English,  and click here for the Spanish version. 


Click here for a copy of this full page flyer of events.New

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