Currents reporter covers City Hall rally where Council Members Levine and Gibson joined the Right the Council Coalition advocating passage of Intro 214-A, calling on New York to become the first city to give tenants the right to free counsel.
See Currents NET TV’s coverage of the event: Tenants Call on City for Right to Counsel
Tenants rally at City Hall in support of Intro 214-A
The Right to Counsel Coalition comprised of tenants, advocates, academics and legal services providers rallied on Wednesday, December 13th at the steps of City Hall calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to pass Intro 214-A, in support of right to counsel for all low income tenants who face eviction in New York City. Clever Borja, a Queens tenants representing CMS shared his testimony before the crowd.
See NY1 Noticias’ coverage of the event en Español: Demandan que concejo municipal apruebe ley 214-A
Tenant leaders and members. Above, from left, Rosalba Quintero, Lesvia Mendez, Lorena Lopez, Lucelly Hincapie, Ruben Dario Llanos, Member representing CMS, Martha Genao, Telvia Acevedo, Lauren Springer, Jose Genao & Ernestina Villafane. (Photo: Mariam Magar)
On Friday, September 30th the Rent Justice Coalition recognized Catholic Migration Services (CMS) for its work on behalf of low-income Queens tenants in connection with the June 9th rent stabilization hearing held at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center Auditorium before the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB).
The board, comprised of nine members, held multiple public hearings throughout the City of New York in anticipation of their final vote on June 27th where they passed the second straight rent freeze in their 46-year existence. A historical achievement that affects 1.6 million rent stabilized tenants; the 7-2 vote approved a 0% increase on one-year leases and a 2% increase on two-year leases signed between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017.
Serving as borough head for Queens, Catholic Migration Services prepared for the public hearings mobilizing tenants among the groups from the Rent Justice Coalition representing Queens County. During this time tenants testified before the Rent Guidelines Board sharing personal experiences and expressing why a rent increase was not putting the most vulnerable New Yorkers first. Lorena Lopez, a tenant organizer with Catholic Migration Services was pleased with the vote and honored that the organization was recognized in the fight to advocate on behalf of tenants in the borough but also shared the work doesn’t end here. “We believe the tenants deserve a rent rollback and although this is a celebration for the tenants, organizers, attorneys and members the reality is several seats on the Rent Guidelines Board will become vacant by the end of this year. That means the work of the coalition is to re-educate its new members,” explained Lopez.
After a recent suit filed by the Rent Stabilization Association (RSA) against the Rent Guidelines Board, advocating on behalf of tenants will continue to encounter hurdles. Lopez fears the new board will act more conservatively when making decisions that could benefit tenants since the RSA represents 25,000 landlords of one million rent stabilized apartments in the five boroughs. Until then the New York City Rent Freeze, a success for over 1 million New Yorkers, mainly comprised of low-income families, senior citizens and the disabled went into effect October 1st. This affects residents who rent an apartment that is rent regulated (rent controlled, rent stabilized, hotel stabilized or Mitchell-Lama).
Kenny Minaya, housing attorney and coordinator of the CMS Immigrant Tenant Advocacy Program (ITAP), was recently mentioned in an article by the New York Daily News. Read more about the work we are doing in support of affordable housing for low-income immigrant tenants by following this link.
Congratulations to Kenny and everyone supporting the incredible work of ITAP!
Matthew Desmond, author of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” will be at the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU on Wednesday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m.
The event, hosted by the Right to Counsel NYC Coalition, is free and will be followed by a cocktail reception. Desmond and his book were recently featured in The New York Times.
Details:
Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 6:30 p.m.
Institute for Public Knowledge
20 Cooper Square, second floor
Register here
On Wednesday October 7th, Catholic Migration Services held their first monthly community meeting at St. Joseph’s Parish in Bushwick. There were over 80 Bushwick residents in attendance who heard from several community legal services organizations in the area.
Catholic Migration Services partnered with the law firm Virginia & Ambinder, LLP to give a training on basic labor rights. Our Housing Program Coordinator Kenny Minaya, and Senior Organizer Yolanda Coca, provide housing legal services to low-income tenants in the Bushwick and Ridgewood neighborhoods, holding legal clinics and tenant organizing meetings. To find out more about our Immigrant Tenant Advocacy Program (ITAP), click on this link.
