Help Win an Important Victory for New Yorkers in Need of Affordable Housing and at Risk of Homelessness

As a result of the weakening of rent regulations, New York City has been losing more than 15,000 rent regulated apartments per year for nearly a decade. One of primary causes for this loss in recent years has been "vacancy decontrol" which removes apartments from any rent regulations when it becomes vacant and the rent has been raised to $2,000 a month.

Now, with a Democratic majority in the State Senate for the first time in 40 years, tenant advocates and their allies finally have an opportunity to reverse the trend of weakening rent regulations and in doing so, have a significant impact on one of the major causes of homelessness - increasingly unaffordable rents.

The top priority for tenant advocates in 2010 is the repeal of vacancy decontrol. Having already passed in the state assembly, a majority of state senators are needed to vote in favor of repealing vacancy decontrol. If we are to see the homelessness resulting from the devastating loss of affordable housing come to an end, we must repeal vacancy decontrol this year!

There are five New York City based State Senators standing in the way of repealing vacancy decontrol (see map). If you know of faith leaders in any of these districts who might be willing to help appeal to their state senators to stand up to special interests and stand with those at risk of homelessness, please share their names with the Interfaith Assembly so that we might elicit their support in this crucial effort.

Also, please take the time to sign and send the attached letters to the following key elected officials urging them to repeal Vacancy Decontrol:

 

Thousands of people may live in a community but it is not one of real fellowship until they know each other mutually and have sympathy for one another. A true community has faith and wisdom that illuminate it. It is a place where the people know and trust one another and where there is social harmony.
From Mahaparinirvana-Sutra