Governor Cuomo: Pass a Strong Housing Agenda in the 2018 State Budget!

Governor Andrew Cuomo

Over the past seven years we Governor Cuomo's administration side with the real estate industry instead of tenants, public housing residents, and the homeless.

Over and over again, his administration has failed on essential housing justice issues: strengthening the rent laws, and fully funding public and supportive housing. By refusing to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1%, New York State does not have the revenue needed to solve the homelessness crisis.

Under his leadership, New York has become unaffordable to millions of people, and displacement pressures have spread to every corner of the state. We are seeing the highest rate of homelessness since the Great Depression. We have lost and are poised to lose tens of thousands of rent-regulated apartments.

We demand that Governor Cuomo finally put New Yorkers before his donors to pass a robust Housing Justice agenda in the 2018 budget that includes the following:

1. Stronger and more expansive tenant protections to prevent homelessness: Eliminate the vacancy bonus and the preferential rent loophole; pass just cause eviction protections and expand Housing Court across New York State.

    2. Safe, quality housing for all: Full funding for 14,000 units of supportive housing; full funding for public housing authorities across the state; full funding for the Home Stability Support program; and by investing $9 million to expand rental assistance for low-income HIV-positive New Yorkers outside of NYC.

    3. Enact progressive revenue options for New York State: Expand the millionaires' tax and close the carried interest loophole.

To: Governor Andrew Cuomo
From: [Your Name]

During the seven years you have been governor, we have seen housing affordability and rental conditions worsen. This has led to record homelessness that has skyrocketed and continues to grow on your watch.

Instead of implementing policies that would address this crisis, you’ve delivered an agenda that prioritizes enriching your real estate donors. From Long Island to Rochester and Binghamton to the Capital region, New Yorkers are suffering from soaring housing costs and crumbling buildings –– tragically leaving nearly 100,000 homeless and contributing to the loss of tens of thousands of rent stabilized units since 2011.

It’s a simple fact that the solutions you have put forward or refused to implement have not made a dent in the homelessness and affordability crisis. There’s still one more session left for you to change course; unfortunately your budget lacks the kind of common-sense initiatives that would provide real relief for the New Yorkers struggling the most to find or stay in their homes.

We demand that you finally put your constituents before your donors and refuse to approve a 2018 budget without the following initiatives:

1. Stronger and more expansive tenant protections to prevent homelessness: Eliminate the vacancy bonus and the preferential rent loophole; pass just cause eviction protections and expand Housing Court across New York State.

2. Safe quality housing for all: Full funding for 14,000 units of supportive housing; full funding for public housing authorities across the state; full funding for the Home Stability Support program; and by investing $9 million to expand rental assistance for low-income HIV-positive New Yorkers outside of NYC.

3. Enact progressive revenue options for New York State: Expand the millionaires tax and close the carried interest loophole.