Yesterday,
tenants and housing advocates with Housing Here and Now cheered as the New York
State Assembly passed the repeal of vacancy decontrol, and a whole package of
pro-tenant legislation. Over calls for us to quiet down, nearly 50 tenants from
New York City and Albany applauded cheered as news of the vote
came through on the Assembly session floor. This crucial victory comes
following more than a year of hard work by the entire housing justice movement
of New York City.
We rallied throughout the city, we braved the snow in endless trips to Albany, we lobbied our
legislators, and yesterday, the assembly heard our demands!

The
repeal of vacancy decontrol would halt the loss of tens of thousands of
affordable apartments from New York
City. The Assembly’s passage of the repeal yesterday
is a giant victory for tenants. The final vote count is still be calculated. At
last count, the repeal of vacancy decontrol passed 91 to 52. Now, we need to
keep the pressure on to carry the bill through the Senate!

NEXT
STEPS

Next,
join Housing Here and Now on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 for the next mass
mobilization to Albany
to push the State Senate! We’re headed up for Caucus Weekend, a key time where
Democrats sets their agenda moving forward. We need a mass presence to show
them we mean business, and that the repeal of vacancy decontrol has to be the
top of their priorities.

GREAT
WORK TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE LEAD!

Great
work to all the groups that joined Housing Here and Now yesterday on the
Assembly floor to represent tenants, including ACORN, Pratt Area Community
Council, Mitchell-Lama Tenants’ Association, Tenants & Neighbors, Tenants
PAC, West Side Neighborhood Alliance and Park West Village Tenants Association.
These folks turned out on short notice to show the Assembly that tenants are
behind them in this key victory.

Special
congratulations as well to all the groups who took the lead on last week’s
Senate lobby visits in Albany and recent in-district lobbying, including the
above groups and North West Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, New York City
AIDS Housing Network, Community Voices Heard, Make the Road NY, New York Immigration Coalition,
Catholic Charities of Queens and Brooklyn, Real Rent Reform Campaign, Bushwick
Housing Independence Project, Interfaith Assembly on Housing and Homelessness,
Voices of Women Organizing, Picture the Homeless, and Chelsea Tenant Action
Committee.