Immigrant Tenants Travel to Albany for State Senate Action on the Repeal of Vacancy Decontrol

Governor David Patterson has called a special session of the State Senate this week. This Thursday, a bill to repeal vacancy decontrol (S2237-A) is on the agenda to come to the floor. Immigrant tenants from Brooklyn and Queens will travel to Albany to call on their State Senators to vote for the repeal of vacancy decontrol and the preservation of rent regulation.

Tenants will draw attention to the impact of deregulation on all of New York's boroughs and low-income tenants and the importance of this vote for this growing constituency.

Immigrant tenants face rising rents, falling wages, and overcrowded homes. Many rents have already crossed the decontrol threshold, leaving new tenants without protection against rent hikes and baseless evictions. Without repealing vacancy decontrol, we will see tens of thousands of apartments in the outer boroughs removed from rent regulation in the coming years. This will exacerbate the already intense housing crisis. Repealing vacancy decontrol will protect affordable housing in Brooklyn and Queens for generations to come.

WHEN: Thursday, June 25, 2009

WHERE: State Capitol, Albany, NY

WHO: Bus load of Tenants from Make the Road New York