State, city-elected officials & Brooklyn tenants rally to urge landlord to sell Cobble Hill apartment
It's an agreement that has kept rent affordable for three decades and has left residents in the 70-unit building to face the possibility of rent increases, eviction and housing insecurity.
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A low-income housing credit agreement is set to expire on Dec. 31 for residents living at 63 Tiffany Place.
It's an agreement that has kept rent affordable for three decades and has left residents in the 70-unit building to face the possibility of rent increases, eviction and housing insecurity.
"Is the worst going to happen to me and my family?" says resident Brandon Foster-Bagley "or are we going to find another solution?"
That's where long-time residents like John Leyva stepped in.
He is leading the Tenant Association to rally for his community.
John says he's reached out to building landlord, Irving Langer, of Lawrence, New York, to open negotiations for change.
"We should be able to have a seat at the table and have some determination of what will happen with our building," says Leyva.
Langer has not yet responded to News 12's calls.
In a collaborative effort they will continue to have enlisted help from elected officials, like District 51 Assembly member Marcela Mitaynes to work toward The Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA).
The two bills put the power back into the hands of residents and give them advance notice that a landlord intends to sell a building, allowing them the opportunity to purchase.
"By giving tenants the right to be able to purchase their property, this will help stabilize communities," says Mitaynes. "[They can] stabilize their families and give working class people an opportunity to move from working class to the middle class and eventually homeowners."
