Bronx residents, activists protest new tenant harassment law
Chanting and waving picket signs, two dozen residents and activists converged on Councilwoman Maria Baez’s office in Mount Hope Tuesday to protest a newly proposed tenant harassment law.
Opponents of Bill 638, which the Democratic councilwoman is sponsoring, said it would give landlords too much power to go after tenants, and would make it harder for tenants to fight back.
The language of the bill, being co-sponsored by Bronx Council Majority Leader and potential candidate for Bronx Borough President Joel Rivera, was largely written by the Rent Stabilization Association group, which represents landlords.
“It’s unfair and very imbalanced,” said Jackie del Valle, of Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA). “Tenants in [Baez’s] district are the most vulnerable, so we were shocked to learn that she introduced this bill.”
Protester Glenda Poe, 47, feared even those who made simple complaints would be penalized.
“Under this new bill, you can’t even call 311 because you have no lights or hot water because the landlord can accuse you of harassment, whereas the tenants have to prove the landlord intended to harass them,” Poe said. “It’s not right.”
Protester Enrique Colon, 38, suspected a hidden agenda.
“This just makes it easier for the landlord to kick tenants out. Then they can put the rents up to the market rate,” he said. “It’s making it easier to gentrify the area.”
The group wants Baez to instead throw her support behind Bill 627, a similar proposal sponsored by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and backed by several housing advocates and the rest of the Bronx Council delegation.
In a statement, Baez (D-West Bronx) cautioned that neither bill was a done deal, and said a final version is being negotiated with Quinn and her staff.
“We are having a healthy discussion and debate about both bills,” Baez said in a statement.
Rivera, who also is a Democrat, added that he wanted “all those concerned to understand that we are working hard to ensure that the final draft of this legislation will be fair and balanced to all parties.”
Still, concerns lingered with the protesters.
Local tenant Priscilla Henegan, 64, is expecting the worst, and called the proposed law “no good.”
“The bill Maria Baez signed off can allow landlords to treat us any way they want to treat us,” Henegan said. “It’s not going to protect us at all.”
SOURCE: NY Daily News
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