Yesterday, tenants and housing advocates with Housing Here and Now cheered as the New York State Assembly passed the repeal of vacancy decontrol, and a whole package of pro-tenant legislation. Over calls for us to quiet down, nearly 50 tenants from New York City and Albany applauded cheered as news of the vote came through on the Assembly session floor. This crucial victory comes following more than a year of hard work by the entire housing justice movement of New York City. We rallied throughout the city, we braved the snow in endless trips to Albany, we lobbied our legislators, and yesterday, the assembly heard our demands!
The repeal of vacancy decontrol would halt the loss of tens of thousands of affordable apartments from New York City. The Assembly's passage of the repeal yesterday is a giant victory for tenants. The final vote count is still be calculated. At last count, the repeal of vacancy decontrol passed 91 to 52. Now, we need to keep the pressure on to carry the bill through the Senate!
NEXT STEPS
Next, join Housing Here and Now on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 for the next mass mobilization to Albany to push the State Senate! We're headed up for Caucus Weekend, a key time where Democrats sets their agenda moving forward. We need a mass presence to show them we mean business, and that the repeal of vacancy decontrol has to be the top of their priorities.
GREAT WORK TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE LEAD!
Great work to all the groups that joined Housing Here and Now yesterday on the Assembly floor to represent tenants, including ACORN, Pratt Area Community Council, Mitchell-Lama Tenants' Association, Tenants & Neighbors, Tenants PAC, West Side Neighborhood Alliance and Park West Village Tenants Association. These folks turned out on short notice to show the Assembly that tenants are behind them in this key victory.
Special congratulations as well to all the groups who took the lead on last week's Senate lobby visits in Albany and recent in-district lobbying, including the above groups and North West Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, New York City AIDS Housing Network, Community Voices Heard, Make the Road NY, New York Immigration Coalition, Catholic Charities of Queens and Brooklyn, Real Rent Reform Campaign, Bushwick Housing Independence Project, Interfaith Assembly on Housing and Homelessness, Voices of Women Organizing, Picture the Homeless, Chelsea Tenant Action Committee,
STAY IN TOUCH! STAY IN THE FIGHT!
For more information on the Albany mobilization on Saturday, February 14 or to RSVP, contact Housing Here and Now's new Lead Organizer: Jon Furlong. He can be reached at (718) 246-7900 x273 or jon@housinghereandnow.org .
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2 comments:
What is the sunset of the new bill? I've read that the sunset remains in 2011. That would be a mistake since we would have to go through all this again in 2 years. Hopefully these bills will make rent stabilization permanent and eliminate the sunset altogether.
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