IPNTA Newsletters

November 2003

To IPNTA members and other M-L Tenants: ‘You Made Our Day!’

Thanks to all the tenants who came! Our Rally on October 29 was magnificent. The Press Conference was very successful. The Hearing was very positive.

We marched in the streets displaying our coalition banner: “Preserve Affordable Housing.” We took over the streets, we had a police escort. When we got there, the press was waiting, there were people waiting.

It was a great site visually--that we had 300 tenants on the steps already, long lines to get into City Hall. The lines were so long that the police told us we have to limit the number of people who can attend. When we told the crowd, “We have a problem today, “we have too many people,” you cheered.

The hearing went well. Testimony supporting the bill was given by a variety of IPN tenants, representing diverse views; other Mitchell-Lama tenants; elected officials and lawyers sympathetic to the Mitchell-Lama tenants’ plight; Local 32BJ; and other coalition partners, including the Community Service Society.

Our testimony was superior to that of the Real Estate interests (the landlord’s attorney, the Real Estate Board of NY, other attorneys).

The City’s Department of Housing Preservation & Development also testified, basically saying that they have a proposal for state legislation—to extend Rent Stabilization protection to all M-Ls, regardless of when they were occupied. While IPNTA supports such legislation, we know that the Senate has always seen fit to kill any such bill.

It is significant that the Mayor felt he needed to preempt us. He held a press conference just prior to our noon rally to announce legislation proposed to the State to expand Rent Stabilization. This shows that the City Council bill is already effective:

We’re getting the attention of the City and the attention of the Mayor.

It’s putting pressure on the State. We’ve always said this bill only pertains to City Mitchell-Lamas because the City Council only has jurisdiction over the City M-Ls, but if it’s passed in the Council, it puts pressure on the State to do something about ML tenants’ plight.

Most important, it shows that the proposed State legislation and the City Council bill are not mutually exclusive. We support both.

Indeed, at his press conference, Gifford Miller welcomed the Mayor's proposal, saying Intro 523 would buy the time needed for the state to enact legislation to preserve affordable housing.

It’s important to repeat that both the City and the State are now being pressured to do something significant – and it’s through IPN Tenants that these things are happening. The City & Mayor would not have come up with a proposal to help M-Ls if we didn’t put the pressure on them. We can be proud of ourselves. We are bringing about change for ourselves and other M-L tenants throughout the City, and providing a guide for state M-L tenants.

Again, we want to thank the tenants! We've spent a lot of money on lawyers, accountants, public relations, printing , tenant coordinator, and meeting expenses and the battle is not over yet. We still face a whole range of expenses. But what’s equally important is PEOPLE.

We need both money and people – without both, the Speaker would not be in our corner. Not only did we deliver, but we over-delivered! Around 400 tenants came; some were turned away.

We conveyed our message and made our point. We have to continue to move forward, continually maintain a visible presence, and show our strength and determination.

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