February 8, 2023
Governor Kathy Hochul
NYS Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Hochul,
We are writing as a coalition of faith-based leaders and advocates deeply alarmed about New York’s growing housing crisis, which is taking a deep toll on our congregants, our communities, and New York State at large. Exacerbated by the uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, rents are spiking in cities across New York, evictions are surging, and homelessness is rising unabated. Deeply rooted racial and economic inequities are only growing worse. We need to restore justice to our housing system to protect the well-being of New Yorkers..
To address those inequities, we are writing to you in support of Housing Justice for All’s “Our Homes, Our Power” plan, a package of five statewide bills to ensure every New Yorker has a safe and affordable home. The package includes:
- Good Cause Eviction: Good Cause Eviction grants every tenant in New York State protections against unjust evictions and unreasonable rent increases by requiring landlords to justify rent hikes greater than 3% (or 150% of the Consumer Price Index.) This bill would protect 1.6 million households in New York State.
- Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP): HAVP creates a statewide rental subsidy program for low-income New Yorkers who are homeless, facing eviction, or at risk of losing their housing because of domestic violence or hazardous living conditions. This includes undocumented people, people without income, and people with felony convictions, none of whom are currently eligible for local or federal assistance.
- Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA): TOPA would provide tenants the right to collectively decide the future of their building when it’s up for sale and a tool to more effectively fight for safer and better living conditions by giving tenants the right of first refusal if their landlord decides to sell the building. Tenants could buy the building together and own it as a cooperative, turn the building into publicly owned housing, or work with a non-profit to remain a permanently affordable rental.
- Rent Guidelines Board Reform: This year, the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) passed the highest rent increase in a decade. Reforms must require the RGB to factor in a variety of considerations when determining rental prices to ensure they truly reflect the reality tenants on the ground face.
- Social Housing: The state must set up a Social Housing Development Authority (SHDA), a statewide agency with the power to build and preserve high-quality, affordable housing across the state. The SDHA would create a pathway to build publicly-backed housing that is insulated from the market and lets residents exert democratic control over their homes.
We believe it’s our moral responsibility to protect New York’s most vulnerable residents. We firmly believe passing this package of bills will help address the state’s urgent housing crisis. Housing is a fundamental human right, and we need to do all we can to ensure everyone in New York has a safe place to call home.
Thank you for your consideration,
Imam Dr. Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood Inc./ Association of African American Imams
The Rev. Dr. Carl Adair, Zion Episcopal Church
Digital Minister James Admans, Fort Washington Collegiate Church
Fidele Albert, Pentecostal Church
Imam Shamsi Ali, Al Hikmah Mosque and Jamaica Muslim Center
Rev. Dr. Foluso Aruleba, Redeem Christian Church of God
Rev. Dominique Atchison, Interfaith Center of New York
Rabbi Guy Austrian, Fort Tryon Jewish Center
Reverend Laura Bachmann, Gates Presbyterian Church
Asad Bajwa, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Rev. Sara E. Baron, First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
Rev. Joyce Brandon, First Congregational Church of Rockaway Beach
Executive Director Chloe Breyer, The Interfaith Center of New York
Rev. Dr. Susan Brown, IMS
Sister Carol De Angelo, Sisters of Charity of New York
Reverend Shokuchi Deirdre Carrigan, Coney Island Zen
Reverend Luis-Alfredo Cartagena Zayas, Park Avenue Christian Church DoC/UCC
Vice-President Monjur Choudhury, Jamaica Muslim Center
Rev. Peggy Clarke, Community Church of New York
Rabbi Emily Cohen, West End Synagogue
Karen Collins, St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church
Rev. Jeffrey Courter, First Presbyterian Church of Forest Hills NY
Reverend Getulio Cruz Jr., Monte Sion Christian Church
The Rev. Canon John E. Denaro, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church
Rev. Ashley DeTar Birt, Center for Jubilee Practice
President Dr. Abdelhafid Djemil, Majlis Ash-Shura. Islamic Leadership Council of NY
Pastor Kaji Dousa, Park Avenue Christian Church
Pastor Joyce Dugger, First Congregational Church Of Rockaway Beach
Reverend David W. Dyson
Mr. David Elitzer, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion
Pastor Brian C. Ellis-Gibbs, Queen’s Baptist Church
Rabbi Barat Ellman
President Somia Elrowmeim, Union of Arab Women
Madeleine Fortney, HUC-JIR
Rabbi Jonathan Freirich, VOICE Buffalo
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Malkhut
Rabbi Howard Goldsmith, Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester
Rev. Dr. Peter Goodwin Heltzel, Park Avenue Christian Church
Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, SAJ-Judaism that Stands for All
Rabbi Lisa Grant, Hebrew Union College
Adam Graubart, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
ED Marc L. Greenberg, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing
Rev. Lynne A. Grifo, Retired Episcopal Priest
Rabbi Miriam Grossman, Kolot Chayeinu
President Mufty Hafiz Luthfur Rahman Qasimy, United Ulama Council Of USA INC
Erum Hanif, APNA Brooklyn Community Center
Rev. Dr. Frankco Harris, Mt. Olivet Baptist Church of Hollis
Rabbi Jill Hausman, Actors’ Temple, Cong. Ezrath Israel
Rabbi Shai Held, Hadar Institute (for ID purposes)
Beverly Hinds, New Creation Christian Church
Imam Qazi Hoque, Quba Masjid Brooklyn
Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson, T’ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
Mona Hussain, Al Noor Center
Mona Hussain, Arab American Association of New York
Master of Divinity/Master of Science of Social Work Raquel Irizarry, All Souls Bethlehem Church
Rev. Dr. Bayer Jack-Wah Lee, First Chinese Baptist Church
Reverend Lauren A. Jacobs, ICNY (Interfaith Center of New York)
Reverend Laura Jervis, Rutgers Presbyterian Church – New York City
Congregational Secretary Sister Joan Agro, Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, NY
Rabbi Andrue Kahn
Imam Muhammad A. Khan, Masjid Omar Ben Abdel Aziz
Aminta Kilawan-Narine, Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
Rabbi Stephanie Kolin, Congregation Beth Elohim
Senior Minister Jacqui Lewis, Middle Collegiate Church
Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Tirdof: New York Jewish Clergy for Justice
Pastor Dustin G. Longmire, Messiah Lutheran Church & the Trinity Community Center
Cantor Abbe Lyons, Hillel at Ithaca College
Pastor Arelis M.Figueroa, La Iglesia del Pueblo
Rev. Rev Maggie Delia, One Spirit Interfaith/Interspiritual Seminary
Chairman Mohammed Mardah, African Advisory Council
Rabbi Marc Margolius, Institute for Jewish Spirituality
Brother John Patrick Martin, Maryknoll Missioners
Pastor of Justice and Mercy Zac Martin, Next Step Community Church
E. Magalene McClarrin, Memorial Presbyterian Church
Rachel McCullough, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice
Rev. West McNeill, Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS
Ms. Marianne Montero, Riverdale Presbyterian Church and The Interfaith Center of NYC
Oustaz Mamadou Moustapha, The African Islamic Center
President John Mudd, Midtown South Community Council
Abdus-Salaam Musa, Al Markaz/Islamic Circle of North America
Elder Kwame Nana, Presbyterian Church Of Ghana
Executive Director Afaf Nasher, Council on American-Islamic Relations, New York (CAIR-NY)
Executive Director Aniqa Nawabi, Muslim Community Network
Minister Chibueze Okorie, The Church of Gethsemane (PCUSA)
Rev. Joseph Paparone, Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS
Rev. Benjamin Perry, Middle Church
Rabbi William Plevan
Karma Acharya Vijah Ramjattan, United Madrassi Association Inc.
Mr Jerry Rivers, NACCE-Church of Christ
Elder Louis D. Rodriguez, The Church of Gethsemane
Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Dayenu
Pastor Donna Schaper, Bricks and Mortals
Ms. Donna Schlachman, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills
Rev. Deborah Schlein, Romemu
Cantor Eric Schulmiller, The Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore
Rabbi Misha Shulman, The New Shul
Harpreet Singh Toor, Sikh Cultural Society
Mary Smith, Church Women United in New York State
Rabbi Abby Stein, Sacred Space
Rabbi Joshua Strom, Congregation B’nai Yisrael
Subha Sundaram, Hindu Temple of Tri State
Mrs. Elaine Swaine, University Presbyterian Church, Buffalo NY
The Reverend Richard Tag
Director Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice
Rabbi Rachel Timoner, Congregation Beth Elohim
Djeneba Toure-Diaby, Zeina Lorraine Inc (Masjid Mohammad Ali Islamic Center)
Minister Vaughn Walters, Duryea Presbyterian Church
Ms. Weini Zhao, The International Hua-Yan Buddhist Federation
Rev. Seth Zuihō Segall, Pamsula Zen of Westchester