From: Sue Susman <sue@janak.org>
To: aff <aff-hous@save-ml.org>
Subject: [aff-hous] Correction: NYC Council Tenant Update
--------- Forwarded message ---------From: Speaker Christine C. Quinn <speakerquinn@council.nyc.ny.us>
Date: Fri, May 18, 2012 at 5:12 PM
Subject: Correction: NYC Council Tenant Update
Dear New Yorker,
We wanted to share some important news for New York City tenants.
If you have any questions or concerns about the items listed below,
please don't hesitate to contact Carlos Carino in the City Council's
Community Outreach Unit. He can be reached by telephone at (212)
788-9121 or by e-mail at ccarino@council.nyc.gov.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker, NYC Council
Erik Martin Dilan
Chair, Housing & Buildings Committee, NYC Council
Helen Diane Foster
Chair, State & Federal Legislation Committee, NYC Council
Hearing on Rent Guidelines Board Reform Legislation this Monday!
This Monday, May 21st, the City Council's Committee on Housing and Buildings will be holding an important
public hearing on Resolution #1329.
This resolution, which was introduced by Council Members Levin, James and Dilan, calls on the NYS
Legislature to pass S741B Squadron/A6394B Kavanaugh legislation that would make the Rent Guidelines
Board (RGB) more inclusive by requiring members to have experience in areas beyond finance, economics and
housing. This will help ensure that a wider range of voices are represented on the board.
This state legislation would also grant the City Council the power to confirm mayoral appointees to the RGB.
That way, we'll be able to ensure a better balance between tenant and landlord interests.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the 16th Floor Committee Room at 250 Broadway in Lower
Manhattan. Consideration of Resolution #1329 is expected to take place at approximately 2 pm.
If you can't make it to the hearing, you can always email your comments and stories to us at
speakerquinn@council.nyc.gov, and we'll be sure to forward them to the Committee's staff in advance of
Monday's hearing.
Rent Guidelines Board Public Meetings
At their May 1st meeting, the RGB announced the following proposed rent increases for rent-regulated
apartments in NYC:
For a one-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2012 and on or before September 30, 2013:
1.75% - 4.0%
For a two-year renewal lease commencing on or after October 1, 2012 and on or before September 30, 2013:
3.5% - 6.75%
The RGB will continue to hold public meetings on these proposed guidelines until its final vote on Thursday,
June 21st.
It's important for tenants to remain active and vocal and to let the RGB know where they stand on these
proposed rent hikes. Details are listed below:
Thursday, May 31, 2012, Public Meeting, Location: Landmarks Preservation Commission, Conference Room,
Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, 9th Floor, starting at 9:30a.m.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012, Public Hearing (Public Testimony), Location: Repertory Theater of Eugenio Maria
de Hostos Community College/CUNY, 450 Grand Concourse starting at 4:30 p.m.
Monday, June 18, 2012, Public Hearing (Public Testimony), Location: Cooper Union, The Great HallBasement, 7 East 7th Street, near Third Avenue, starting at 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, June 21, 2012, Public Meeting (Final Vote), Location: Cooper Union, The Great Hall-Basement, 7
East 7th Street, near Third Avenue, starting at 5:30 p.m.
For more information, please visit the RGB's website at http://www.housingnyc.com/html/about/meetings.html.
Responsible Banking Act
We also wanted to share with you a recent victory for NYC neighborhoods.
At our Stated meeting on May 15th, the City Council passed Intro. #485.
This legislation, which was introduced by Council Member Vann, will bring together banks, communities and
government officials across the five boroughs to evaluate the banking needs of New Yorkers and their
communities.
To this end, Intro. #485 calls for the creation of an advisory board that will evaluate how well banks are meeting
the needs of the city's neighborhoods based on several important factors, including:
small business lending,
homeowner mortgage payments,
preventing the disrepair of foreclosed properties, and
financing for affordable housing and economic development projects services in low- and moderate-income
communities.
The Board will collect information, hold public hearings in each borough, and publish an annual report on
banking needs in communities citywide.
Bringing together stakeholders to gauge how well banks are serving New Yorkers is a groundbreaking,
collaborative approach. By illuminating the needs of the communities they serve, banks will be better able to
meet those needs and reinvest in our communities.
We look forward to working with banks and other stakeholders on this important initiative and urge Mayor
Bloomberg to sign Intro. #485 swiftly into law.
To get e-mails from this list just once a day, contact sue@janak.org.
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