Happy Thanksgiving!

The tenant association thanks all of you for your generosity and making us a stronger, kinder community .

Time to change State law to help more tenants

Rally on Tuesday Nov. 16 at 11 AM at Hudson Yards (10th Ave. /32nd St.) or sign the petition to #HouseNY.

After Housing Justice for All won major legal changes in 2019, a few things were left.  And COVID made some of the needs starker.  We need: 

• Eviction and steep rent increases for good cause only.  Rent stabilized , rent controlled, and a few other tenants have this, but the rest don't.  If we're to be a community, we all need it.  The bill would limit rent increases above 5% to those cases where landlords can show they really need it.  And evictions would be because the tenant misbehaved (or the landlord is going to live in the apartment), and not just because the owner wants the tenant out.  So even market tenants could complain about poor conditions without fear of losing their homes.

• Permanent rental assistance to those who need it. 

• No more tax breaks for luxury development.  Why should our tax dollars subsidize construction of luxury units?  (And on my own personal corollary, why should buildings that the government subsidized for years be allowed to go private?)

Housing Justice for All (HJ4A) is the Upstate/Downstate Coalition that brought us the revolutionary 2019 housing law (the law that caps Major Capital Improvement increases to 2% annually and bars de-regulating apartments, among other things). Our tenant association is a member. 

Watch the Medicare Zoom at your leisure

Our tenant association hosted Medicare expert Jess Joseph on November 3, 2021, talking about how to save money with your Medicare plan(s).  You can view that Zoom here. 

Jess highly recommended that people watch State Senator Liz Krueger's annual virtual town hall on Medicare at 2 PM on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, detailed below.  

Save money with your Medicare plans

Our tenant association is presenting a Zoom on Medicare.

TONIGHT - Wednesday, November 3, 2021  at 8 PM

Hear Board Certified Patient Advocate Jess Joseph talk about how to save money with Medicare.  As a licensed New York State health insurance broker and consultant he represents clients only and does not accept commissions or fees from insurance companies or other third parties.  Some of you may know him from the 92nd St. Y senior program. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83658376237?pwd=RTFWUTdVN0NudWZkbHA2dUhkd1UrZz09

or by phone: 929-205-6099

Meeting ID: 836 5837 6237

Passcode: 078670

Those of us who participated in the smaller conversation he did for City retirees - who have distinct issues - appreciated his expertise.  Everyone else should take advantage of this opportunity. 

Jess is the partner of our board member Barbara Geller, and we thank both of them for suggesting and doing these useful events for free for our tenant association.

VOTE on TUESDAY, NOV. 2, 2021!

We vote at P.S. 163, on West 97th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.  

The polls are open until 9 PM. 

SEE A SAMPLE BALLOT. 

See the issues and the candidates. 

Heat Season: Oct. 1 through May 31 each year

(Illustration from the NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development)

Landlords must provide heat to tenants from October 1st through May 31st each year under these conditions:

DAY:  6 AM to 10 PM - If the outside temperature is below 55° F, the inside temperature must be at least 68° F.  

NIGHT:  10 PM to 6 AM - The inside temperature must be at least 62°F regardless of the outside temperature. 

Measure the indoor temperature with a digital thermometer in the middle of your room. If the temperature on that thermometer is below the legal limit, file a 311 complaint.  Then send the complaint number, including your name, apartment, and the time, date, and temperature to CPGTenAssoc  at  gmail  dot com.

Making Medicare Choices - with expert Jess Joseph

Thanks to Medicare expert Jess Joseph who will do two free presentations on how to save money with your Medicare plan.

THIS FRIDAY, Oct. 22nd at 8 PM:  Only for City retirees on whether to opt in/out of Medicare Advantage, especially given the Oct. 21, 2021 State Supreme Court decision.  See The City article. 

Jess will focus on what questions to ask the plan - and City retirees will have some date-to-be-determined to decide whether to opt in or out. 

Check the CPG List email for the zoom information. 

THEN ON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3 at 8 PM, he'll do a more complete zoom presentation on how to save money with Medicare.

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