News24USA.Com, Desk, New York— In a bold move to prevent displacement and preserve affordable housing, tenants at 63 Tiffany Place, joined by a coalition of state and city elected officials, called on landlord Irving Langer of Lawrence, NY to sell the building to tenants or a nonprofit during a rally outside the building October 31.
The building’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) agreement, which has kept rents affordable for nearly three decades, is set to expire next year. Without action, the expiration threatens to send rents soaring to market rates, forcing out long-term residents and undermining community stability. Tenants began negotiating with Langer to sell the building to the renters or a nonprofit, but Langer has walked away from the table.
The crowd of 75 tenants and elected officials also called for the passage of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) at the state level and the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) at the city level. These measures would give tenants and nonprofits the first opportunity to purchase residential buildings when they go up for sale. Similar policies in Washington D.C. and San Francisco have proven effective at preserving affordable housing, reducing displacement, and providing tenants with greater control over their homes.
Elected officials at the rally included New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Zellnor Myrie (lead Senate sponsor of TOPA), Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes (lead Assembly sponsor of TOPA), Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Councilmember Shahana Hanif, and Councilmember Alexa Avilés. The tenants, members of the Southwest Brooklyn Tenants Union, were also supported by Housing Justice for All, the New Economy Project, New York Community Land Initiative, and Carroll Gardens Association.
Elected officials representing 63 Tiffany Place, including U.S. Representative Dan Goldman, also sent a letter to Irving Langer calling on him to re-enter negotiations with the tenants.
TOPA and COPA would not only allow tenants to secure their homes but also empower local nonprofits to maintain affordable housing in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. For tenants at 63 Tiffany Place, these laws could mean the difference between staying in their homes and being priced out of New York City entirely.
“Today, I’m standing with my neighbors to demand that our landlord come back to the table and give us the opportunity to purchase our homes. For 30 years, we’ve been part of this community, and we deserve the right to stay and age in place,” said John Leyva, tenant at 63 Tiffany Place. “The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) would let residents like us stay in our homes and keep our neighborhoods from becoming playgrounds for the wealthy. We’re calling on all New Yorkers to join us in pushing for this legislation to keep our neighborhoods affordable for everyone.”
“Irving Langer of E&M Associates is turning his back on tenants once again,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “After years of uncertainty and instability under E&M’s management, tenants made their voices loud and clear: it’s time for a community-based nonprofit to take over the building, not another predatory landlord. With the building up for sale, Langer must re-engage with tenants so that not a single resident is displaced from their homes.”
“Longtime tenants have often made considerable investments in improving our communities. The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act would give them a fair chance to own their homes and begin building real equity,” said State Senator Zellnor Myrie. “I look forward to continuing the fight for TOPA alongside Assembly Member Mitaynes when we reconvene in January."
"The neighbors fighting to stay in their homes at 63 Tiffany Place simply want what all of us want: a stable, affordable home to live and raise their families," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "They deserve a fair shake and an opportunity to purchase the building they've lived in for decades. They, and all New Yorkers, should be able to go to sleep each night without fear that they might be pushed out of their home the next day at the whims of a greedy landlord."
“Our communities thrive because of the people who build them. The 63 Tiffany Place tenants deserve the right to remain in their homes and community without fear of eviction by speculators,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. “The Tenant and Community Opportunity to Purchase bills would allow New Yorkers to safeguard their homes and protect affordable housing for future generations. I stand firmly with the tenants of 63 Tiffany Place, advocating for fair housing and preserving communities instead of being priced out of New York City by outside investors seeking to capitalize on what the community has built.”
“Residents of 63 Tiffany Place—and tenants across New York State—should not risk losing their homes and communities because their landlord has decided to sell their building. This is why I introduced the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA),” said State Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes. “TOPA would give tenants the right to make the first offer on their building if their landlord decides to sell it and, in the process, preserve the current existing affordable housing stock. The residents of 63 Tiffany Place and its partners deserve the right to negotiate in good faith with their landlord, and I am proud to stand alongside them and advocate for their right to stay in their homes and communities.
“Once again, the landlord of 63 Tiffany Place is threatening to displace long-term, working-class residents from one of the last affordable housing options in the Columbia Waterfront neighborhood,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Today, we stand with tenants and advocates in demanding a fair solution and a continuation of good-faith negotiations to preserve this vital affordable housing option for our neighbors.”
“Across the city, tenants like those at 63 Tiffany are fighting to take their homes out of the hands of predatory landlords,” said Elise Goldin, Campaign Organizer at New Economy Project, which coordinates the NYC Community Land Initiative. “We urgently need COPA and TOPA to support the growing movement of tenants and community land trusts working to bring housing into resident control. These policies would go far to address root causes of housing insecurity--and expand the supply of deeply-affordable, community-controlled housing New Yorkers desperately need.” Press Release.