Dear Friend-
Small apartments. High rents. No dishwashers. There are many reasons why housing is rarely simple and never easy in New York City--but your landlord shouldn't be one of them.
That's why on Monday I launched an 8-point plan to help protect tenants from landlords' worst abuses. New York City families work too hard to come home to an apartment with no heat or hot water, or to a building that's falling into disrepair, failing safety codes or infested with bed bugs.
We must hold chronically bad landlords accountable--and we need to change the way the city deals with them. Read about my new plan here in the NY Times.
My strategy focuses on 8 key points:
1. Banning bad landlords from receiving subsidies from the city
2. Banning owners on "NYC Worst Landlord's List" from leasing new office space from the city
3. Partnering with Craigslist.org to alert apartment hunters to NYC's Worst Landlords
4. Reducing red tape for good landlords who want to improve their buildings
5. Enlisting private lawyers to work pro bono and help tenants navigate housing court
6. Being a forceful advocate in Albany for expanding and strengthening rent stabilization laws--which help keep rent affordable for millions of New York families
7. Sending field organizers to the front lines to organize tenants in troubled buildings
8. Imposing minimum mandatory fines for severe housing violations.
This is what it takes: a multi-pronged attack to help insure that renters are given the best possible chance to have their housing needs met--safely and affordably.
Housing and landlord complaints are the number-one reason New Yorkers call 311. This winter alone, over 172,000 calls were made to 311 from residents who didn't have enough heat. That is simply unacceptable.
We can't continue to let this happen in the nation's greatest city. We need to change the way we do business.
I'm proud to stand with tenant associations, housing advocates and my progressive colleagues in the State Senate on this issue - allies who have the courage to stand up to landlords who use their money and influence to prevent tenants from getting a fair shake.
This is what it takes. Be sure to check out our list of Worst NYC Landlords here, and read the NY Times article on our new housing initiatives here.
Thank You,
Bill De Blasio