Neighbors ousted from Park Slope apartments fight back

The neighbors say Greenbrook Partners bought up more than 100 residential and commercial properties during the pandemic.

News 12 Staff

Oct 15, 2021, 9:33 PM

Updated 1,089 days ago

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Tenants in Park Slope are fighting back after receiving letters of non-renewal from the company that purchased properties at their building.
The neighbors say Greenbrook Partners bought up more than 100 residential and commercial properties during the pandemic. The tenants say they then received a letter of non-renewal.
"I was kicked out of my apartment and forced to look for somewhere to move to," says Charlie Curwen, of Park Slope.
The neighbors at 70 Prospect Park West banded together with other tenants living in properties owned by the same company and found that the private equity firm was funded by the Texas Permanent School fund with a $100 million investment.
"We wrote lots of letters. We sent emails. We testified virtually at their board meetings, and it worked," says Cassie Newsom, of Park Slope. "They listened and they heard us. Some of the board members were so concerned they actually came to Brooklyn in person all the way from Texas to further investigate."
The group contacted elected officials and wrote a letter to the school fund asking for the investment to be withdrawn.
Sen. Chuck Schumer stepped into help saying, "I dare say that the thousands of teachers in Texas who put their money in for pensions do not want their money used to kick out tenants."
State lawmakers say they are committed to passing the good cause eviction bill when they return to Albany in January. The bill would stop landlords from evicting tenants unless there was good cause.