CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE!
TELL ALBANY WE NEED FAIR ELECTIONS
OUR FIGHT FOR TENANT PROTECTIONS
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR STRONGER RENT LAWS
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
HCR Rally, Press Conference & Testify!
Click here for Tenants & Neighbors' "Rules Tenants Are Demanding", and
Click here for some talking points if you plan to testify.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Assembly Member Naomi Rivera stands with tenants.
Read her terrific letter to Sheldon Silver (click here or scroll down):
NAOMI RIVERA, Assemblywoman, 80th District
COMMITTEES: Children and Families, Cities, Health, Real Property Taxation
TASK FORCES: Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force
LEGISLATIVE CAUCUSES: Black, Puerto RIcan, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus; Women's Legislative Caucus
August 14, 2012
Honorable Sheldon Silver, Speaker
New York State Assembly
932 Legislative Office Building
Albany, New York 12248
Re: Condo/Co-Op Tax Abatement and J-51 Benefits for Real Estate Developers (A.10798)
Dear Speaker Silver:
During the last few weeks back in my district, my tenant constituents have expressed to me their grave concerns over the subject bill. While I am a sponsor of the bill, I have come to share their concern with the legislation as it is currently drafter. I am therefore writing to request substantive changes that would extend and expand protections for the thousands of renters and tenants in my district.
As it's currently written, Assembly Bill 10798 would give generous J-51 tax breaks to landlords but provide zero benefit or protection to renters. In fact, renters would be left to cover the $257 million in lost revenue while landlords would merely have to claim they've made improvements to their properties. As affordable housing becomes rarer in New York City, this is an inviting loophole that is likely to exacerbate the situation.
As you know, this spring the Rent Guidelines Board, an unelected board with almost no accountability to the residents of New York City, votes to raise rents yet again despite testimony from myself and others indicating the short sightedness of this approach. Unemployment and job insecurity are major issues for many families across our state. The Assembly's bill should recognize the reality of our current economic condition and reflect a more equitable and enlightened approach.
The Assembly has always prided itself in representing the 99%. We should maintain our strong stand for working families. I am therefore requesting an amendment of the legislation to strike a balance between economic incentives for business and the survival of our struggling families.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. As always, I look forward to standing with you on issues of concern to all New Yorkers.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Naomi RIvera
Member of Assembly
NAOMI RIVERA, Assemblywoman, 80th District
COMMITTEES: Children and Families, Cities, Health, Real Property Taxation
TASK FORCES: Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force
LEGISLATIVE CAUCUSES: Black, Puerto RIcan, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus; Women's Legislative Caucus
August 14, 2012
Honorable Sheldon Silver, Speaker
New York State Assembly
932 Legislative Office Building
Albany, New York 12248
Re: Condo/Co-Op Tax Abatement and J-51 Benefits for Real Estate Developers (A.10798)
Dear Speaker Silver:
During the last few weeks back in my district, my tenant constituents have expressed to me their grave concerns over the subject bill. While I am a sponsor of the bill, I have come to share their concern with the legislation as it is currently drafter. I am therefore writing to request substantive changes that would extend and expand protections for the thousands of renters and tenants in my district.
As it's currently written, Assembly Bill 10798 would give generous J-51 tax breaks to landlords but provide zero benefit or protection to renters. In fact, renters would be left to cover the $257 million in lost revenue while landlords would merely have to claim they've made improvements to their properties. As affordable housing becomes rarer in New York City, this is an inviting loophole that is likely to exacerbate the situation.
As you know, this spring the Rent Guidelines Board, an unelected board with almost no accountability to the residents of New York City, votes to raise rents yet again despite testimony from myself and others indicating the short sightedness of this approach. Unemployment and job insecurity are major issues for many families across our state. The Assembly's bill should recognize the reality of our current economic condition and reflect a more equitable and enlightened approach.
The Assembly has always prided itself in representing the 99%. We should maintain our strong stand for working families. I am therefore requesting an amendment of the legislation to strike a balance between economic incentives for business and the survival of our struggling families.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. As always, I look forward to standing with you on issues of concern to all New Yorkers.
Sincerely,
[signed]
Naomi RIvera
Member of Assembly
Monday, August 13, 2012
Rally for DHCR to ENFORCE the 2011 rent laws
August 28
9:00 AM, outside 22 Reade Street
On August 28 at 9:00 AM, join rent regulated tenants, housing organizations, and elected officials for a rally and press conference calling on Governor Cuomo to show the strong, true leadership that is necessary to stop landlords from violating the rent laws.
When the rent laws were strengthened in 2011, one of the most important provisions was that rules and regulations would be issued about how the rent laws would be enforced. This was so critical because so many landlords seem to have been rampantly violating the rent laws in an effort to raise rents and deregulate rent stabilized units -- and the current rules and regulations are so weak they have been often been able to do this with almost total impunity.
It has now been more than a year since the 2011 rent law was passed, and still, there have been no changes whatsoever to the rules and regulations. On August 28, the DHCR will hold a hearing on proposed amendments that simply bring the current rules and regulations in line with the rent law as amended in 2011. Tenants will take this opportunity to demand that Governor Cuomo champion immediate and meaningful reforms to the rules and regulations, and to articulate publicly what changes we are demanding. We will rally at 9:00 and then, at 10:00, testify at the hearing about reforms we believe are necessary.
For more information contact Sam Stein, Rent Regulation Campaign Coordinator at Tenants & Neighbors: 212-608-4320 ext. 316 or sstein@tandn.org.
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Link to the hearing to find out more and to sign up to testify:
HCR is holding a hearing about their proposed new rules and regulations,
Testimony at the hearing is open to the public and begins at 10:00 am.
Be there!
