BP ADAMS ANNOUNCES “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS” WORKSHOP FOR TENANTS IN SUNSET PARK FACING INCREASING RISK OF RESIDENTIAL DISPLACEMENT
BROOKLYN, NY, May 19, 2016: Today, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams announced a free “Tenants: Know Your Rights” workshop on Tuesday, May 24th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, in the cafeteria of Sunset Park High School, located at 153 35th Street in Sunset Park. Tenants will have an opportunity to speak in English or Spanish with advocates and lawyers from Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (Brooklyn A) about their rights under federal, state, and local laws to protection from unfair practices by landlords. Borough President Adams spoke about the clinic as an extension of his continued efforts to support neighborhoods that are experiencing an increasing risk for tenant harassment.
“To rent a home in Sunset Park, the average household must spend nearly six of every 10 dollars earned on rent, an unsustainable burden that prevents families from saving and leaves them vulnerable to displacement from the neighborhood,” said Borough President Adams. “As we work to create affordable housing, we must also provide the resources that allow longtime residents to remain in their homes and resist tenant harassment. I will remain vigilant in pursuing and promoting every avenue available for tenants to learn about their legal rights and to exercise them in the pursuit of housing justice.”
According to recent data compiled by StreetEasy, median rent in Sunset Park amounts to more than 58 percent of the average monthly income. A separate analysis revealed over 100 buildings in that neighborhood had lost at least half of their rent-stabilized units between 2007 to 2014.
“Housing discrimination is part of an insidious strategy used by landlords and management companies to displace and disenfranchise minority residents in Brooklyn,” says Caroline Iosso, fair housing advocate at Brooklyn A. “We are pleased to once again collaborate with Borough President Adams in arming tenants with their fair housing rights and providing them with the tools to combat the unfair treatment they’re experiencing. Across Brooklyn, communities are being destroyed through the elimination of rent-stabilized units and the displacement of community members who can no longer afford to remain. Discrimination plays a large role in this destruction. It’s crucial that tenants learn and understand all legal protections afforded to them and are empowered to assert these rights in order to keep their housing livable, secure, and affordable.”
Additional partners on Borough President Adams’ legal clinic include Representative Nydia M. Velázquez, State Senators Jesse Hamilton and Velmanette Montgomery, Assembly Member Félix W. Ortiz, and Council Member Carlos Menchaca.
“Ensuring tenants are protected from landlord abuses starts with residents knowing their rights,” said Representative Velázquez. “Forums like these provide important educational resources to renters on how to protect themselves and ensure their legal housing rights are respected and observed.”
“Informing community residents about their rights ensures the system isn’t abused by unscrupulous landlords,” said State Senator Hamilton. “As an attorney who has been to housing court, I know that knowledge and preparation can make the difference between having a home and being evicted. These ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops help deter the bad apple landlords from pursuing intimidation and harassment, and they help keep community residents in their homes. Through partnerships with colleagues and community groups, we will get tenants in Sunset Park and across Brooklyn the support they need.”
“Protecting tenants’ rights ranks at the top of my priorities list, and that protection starts with making sure tenants know that they have those rights!” said State Senator Montgomery. “Sunset Park residents who are feeling pressured to move have resources and advocates available to them. I hope everyone with a question will find the answers they need at the ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop.”
“The loss of affordable housing by irresponsible landlords who force tenants out by neglecting their properties and harassing tenants must stop,” said Assembly Member Ortiz. “These companies drive displacement and gentrification. The high turnover in these buildings destabilizes too many Brooklyn communities. I applaud these efforts for tenants to be able to take legal action.”
“Tenant education reduces landlord harassment and other unfair housing practices happening in my district,” said Council Member Menchaca. “This workshop, to be offered in English and Spanish, will empower tenants with knowledge. When informed tenants know how to protect themselves we can fight predatory and criminal landlords together. I thank Borough President Adams for educating our communities on such an urgent topic.”
Last summer, Borough President Adams held a series of hearings in Downtown Brooklyn, East Flatbush, and Williamsburg that identified scores of constituent cases with the potential for civil or criminal liability, which his office has been reviewing with legal advocates. Additionally, he held a tenant harassment legal clinic in December with Brooklyn A and the Legal Aid Society for residents of Brownsville, Cypress Hills, and East New York, as well as in March with Brooklyn A for residents of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, and he plans similar outreach efforts in other Brooklyn neighborhoods. Borough President Adams also continues to offer the newly expanded FREE Legal Services for All program at Brooklyn Borough Hall, a partnership with the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, Brooklyn Legal Services, the Domestic Violence Project and the Veteran Advocacy Project of the Urban Justice Center, as well as Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT); the initiative, which individuals can make an appointment for by calling(718) 802-3777, provides assistance on concerns pertaining to domestic violence, elder law, family law, foreclosure intervention and prevention, government benefits, housing matters, trusts and estates, and veterans’ issues. A listing of fair housing rights information, compiled by Borough President Adams and Brooklyn A, is available online by visiting brooklyn-usa.org/housing-resources.
