RGB RALLY - Wed., April 29, 2015 at 5 PM - Herald Square

Landlord increases have far exceeded inflation. Time for a

RALLY in HERALD SQUARE PARK

(34^th St. & Broadway, Manhattan)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015,  5 PM

before the RGB Preliminary Vote starts at 6 PM at the CUNY Grad Center @ 365 5^th Ave.

5 Reasons to Come to the Pot Luck on Saturday, May 16 from 6-9 PM

You'll have fun.   

Strengthen our political power! When Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Mark Levine come, they'll see us out in numbers. 

Eat well.

Meet those neighbors you were wondering about. 

Your kids can play with other kids in the "Kids" section. 

We can't do it without you 

- and it will be a lot more fun if you're there!

Rent Guidelines Board Preliminary Vote - Wed. April 29 at 5 PM - Herald Square

When NY City's Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) votes in June, will it raise stabilized rents - and therefore landlords' incomes - even higher above inflation while tenant incomes continue to drop?  

Join other tenants at Herald Square on 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 at 5 PM before RGB's Preliminary Vote.  

And read the testimony of Tom Waters and Victor Bach of the Community Service Society asking for a rent roll-back.  

May 16 - Our Annual Pot Luck coming up!

What are you bringing to our Pot Luck on Saturday, May 16th, from 6-9 PM?  We'll be in the Community Room and (weather permitting) the glorious backyard!

Council Member Mark Levine will help us honor Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.  

It's free if you help set up, keep things running, or clean up, or bring food or (non-alcoholic) drink for 8-10 people. Otherwise, it's $10/person or $15 for a household from this building.   Let your floor captain or Maxine know (Apt. 15N) what you plan to bring or do for the party.  

And don't forget to bring your kids!

Thursday, May 14: Tenants out in the streets (at Foley Square)

We have to make Albany listen.  Stand up with your neighbors. 

Thursday, May 14 at 5 PM: Meet in Foley Square and march over the Brooklyn Bridge to Cadman Plaza for a tenant festival and rally.

It's getting to be our last chance to save rent stabilized apartments:

• The City lost 50,000 in the past 3 years!
• Manhattan alone lost 100,000 in the past 10 years.

Unless we strengthen rent regulation before it expires on June 15, 2015, there won't be so many apartments left the next time around.  

Tenant Donna Brown in performance

Participatory Budgeting in our City Council District

Participatory Budget Voting Begins April 13, 2015 PB lets the community participate in decision-making. It's a yearlong process of public meetings, to make sure that people have the time and resources to make wise decisions. Community members discuss local needs and develop proposals to meet these needs. Through a public vote, residents then decide which proposals to fund. PB is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. District 7 (City Council Member Mark Levine) See District 7 Map View All District 7 Projects View All District 7 Voting Locations District 7 Monday, April 13 7:45 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. PS 145, The Bloomingdale School 150 West 105 Street Monday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. Morningside Library 2900 Broadway

Great tenant events coming up at Goddard-Riverside (Columbus & 88th Street)

The Goddard-Riverside Community Center is hosting 3 important meetings in the coming weeks, so save the dates:

  

Wednesday, April 15^th, 4:00 to 5:30 pm

What's happening in Albany - especially the rent laws, set to expire June 15th

with NYS Assembly Members Dick Gottfried, Debra Glick, Linda Rosenthal and Danny O’Donnell.  Our Assembly members will give brief reports and their views on the new Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the newly adopted state budget and key issues yet to come before the annual legislative session concludes in June. One of the most critical issues for NYS tenants is renewal and strengthening of the “rent laws” set to expire on June 15.   

Tuesday, April 21st, 6:30-8pm

Right to Counsel in Housing Court Town Hall

What do we want?!   ...LAWYERS!!   Where do we want them?!   …Housing Court!!  

What is – and isn’t -  "Right to Counsel in Housing Court"? Learn and get involved in this very important and historic work!   Contact Larry Wood for more information at larryw@goddard.org or 212-799-9400 and to register. Seats are limited.

Thursday, April 23rd,  8pm - Current state of rent regulations in NY

Community Free Democrats meeting with panel: Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal,  Legal Aid attorney Ellen Davidson, and tenant advocate Sue Susman

593 Columbus Ave. (at 88^th Street) down the ramp 

Assembly Bill Would Re-Regulate Market Apartments and Cut Owners' Incentives to Get Stabilized Tenants Out

We need our Assembly Member to co-sponsor the bill to repeal vacancy decontrol and re-regulate market apartments.

Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal (from the district just south of us), has sponsored a bill , 1865A, to   repeal vacancy deregulation, which would 

• end landlords' incentive to oust rent regulated tenants and
• re-regulate many market rate in this building*  

if it passes. 

Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell hasn't yet signed on, so please email him to become a sponsor of 1865A. (Suggested text below.) 

Then you can print out and sign the petition here  (we'll have it in the lobby next week) - and give it to your floor captain.  We want to bring them to A.M. O'Donnell and State Senator Perkins before mailing them to Governor Cuomo.  

Save the date: May 16's Pot Luck will honor Manhattan Borough Pres. Gale Brewer!

Come to our annual Pot-Luck Supper 

honoring the wonderful 

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer
May 16, 2015,  6-9 PM
(Council Member Mark Levine will be joining us)

Bring a dish for 8-10 people, help out, or just join in the fun by paying $10/person or $15/household (we'll have a little kids' corner). 

Non-tenant guests are $10/each.

in the Community Room and Backyard

If you'd like to bring something or help out, please contact our Pot Luck Planners:  Maxine Soares, Debbie Gonzalez, and Lydia Pitsirilos.

AirBnB - Don't rent out a room short-term if you are rent stabilized - and others, check your lease!

Stellar Management is going after tenants (mainly rent stabilized, but others may be vulnerable) who rent out rooms or their apartments for short-term stays like AirBnB.

All tenants in New York CIty are allowed to have roommates - who live with them for more than 30 days. (See rules from NYC's Rent Guidelines Board website below).  

In general, NY City residents are allowed to rent out a room for a few nights as long as the tenant remains in the apartment.  BUT TENANTS WHO ARE RENT STABILIZED (or who have other subsidies) CAN FIND THEMSELVES FACING EVICTION if they do this. 

Rent Stabilized Tenants who Peddle Their Pads May Be Evicted

Air BnB Host Evicted from Rent-Stabilized Hell's Kitchen Apartment 

Unemployed woman ordered to stop putting apartment on AirBnB