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WHAT: Brooklyn Tenants United will rally in front of Brooklyn Housing Court to call on the City of New York to find a more adequate facility for Housing Court.
The rally will include tenant leaders speaking about the need for respect and dignity in Housing Court, street theater, and a march through downtown Brooklyn.
WHERE: 143 Livingston St. at Smith St., across from Brooklyn Housing Court
A/C/F/N/R to Jay St.-MetroTech or 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall
WHEN: Thursday, June 14th, 4:30 pm
WHY: David Bistricer's Berkshire Equities owns 141 Livingston Street, where Brooklyn Housing Court is located. David Bistricer is well known as a notorious slumlord. He has been placed on the Public Advocate's slumlord watchlist, has had to pay the City $143,000 for emergency repairs, and, until recently, had locked out all of the unionized maintenance workers at Flatbush Gardens, an apartment complex owned by another of Bistricer's companies.
The City's lease at 141 Livingston Street expires in 2014. Brooklyn Tenants United sees this as an opportunity for the City to find a more appropriate building for Brooklyn Housing Court and to stop doing business with a notorious slumlord.
"Home Court Advantage," a report published by Make the Road New York in December 2011, also demonstrates that in Brooklyn Housing Court, where 85% of landlords are represented in court while approximately 95% of tenants are not, tenants face a myriad of challenges, including "problems with the physical environment, the lack of services and information, and the need for greater respect and impartiality." The report also details the "inadequate multilingual services, the lack of childcare, and the limited accommodations for people with disabilities."
WHO: Members of Brooklyn Tenants United:
Bushwick Housing Independence Project
Cypress Hills LDC
Fifth Avenue Committee
Flatbush Tenant Coalition/FDC
Housing Court Answers
Make the Road New York
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Pratt Area Community Council
***PHOTO OPPORTUNITY***
Brooklyn Tenants United is a coalition of tenants, community organizations and legal services providers across Brooklyn that have come together to address tenant concerns about Brooklyn Housing Court.
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