NYC Public Advocate and Buffalo-Area Leaders Call on the State Legislature to Pass All Nine Rent Bills
Buffalo, NY—A forum and discussion on the housing crisis was held at 1199SEIU offices on Thursday evening. Local labor and community leaders were joined by NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams in calling for the immediate passage of the nine rent laws the make up the “Housing Justice for All” platform.
Over half of all Buffalo renters—including three-quarters of low-income tenants—are “rent-burdened,” paying more than one-third of their income in rent. Under the “Good Cause” eviction bill, an estimated 46,500 Buffalo renters would be protected from evictions without just cause.
“Tenants across Upstate New York are suffering from displacement due to retaliatory evictions and unaffordable rent hikes. This is certainly the case in Buffalo, where development is forcing tenants out of their communities, and there’s no investment for the most marginalized renters,” said Rebecca Garrard, Statewide Housing Organizer for Citizen Action of New York. “We need the passage of the ‘Good Cause’ Eviction bill so tenants can have protections from predatory landlords.”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has been touring the state and touting the benefits of statewide rent laws that would stabilize neighborhoods and protect families.
“The need for affordable housing, for tenant protections, for strong rent laws, is not an Upstate or Downstate issue. From Brooklyn to Buffalo, tenants are crying out for reform and relief. I’ve been a tenant organizer and housing advocate for decades, and I’m glad to join the advocates who have worked tirelessly for months and years pushing for Albany to deliver housing justice for all,” said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
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