Elections

Affordable housing and tenants rights are highly political issues. A change in administrations at the city, state or national level can have an enormous impact on rent regulations, funding for affordable housing programs, code enforcement, and access to justice. For this reason, Met Council urges tenants to get involved in elections - for local seats, as well as higher ones. To find out who represents you, go to the Who Represents You section of nypirg.org and type in your address.

On Tuesday, February 26, Democrat Darrel Aubertine won a special election in New York's North Country State Senate district. Despite a lead in Republican registrations, and a well-financed Republican candidate, Aubertine won with serious support from tenants and the Working Families Party. This win leaves the Republicans in the State Senate with a majority of only two. If Democrats take two more seats, they will have a majority -- if they take one more seat, there will be a tie.

Why is this important? In 2006, real estate interests based in New York City and the surrounding counties gave close to $10 million to candidates and political action committees. Almost all of that money went to Republicans - particularly to political action committees controlled by State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. The Senate Leader has orchestrated the weakening amendments to the rent laws since 1997 that made permanent vacancy decontrol, gutted the registration system, which is the keystone of the rent regulations, removed the brake on preferential rents, and made New York City rent regulated buildings a playing field for the predatory speculators that are destroying affordability in our moderate income neighborhoods.

To get involved directly in electoral contests, go to the Tenants Pac website to see who's been endorsed by this tenant-focused political action committee.

New York City:  In November of 2009, New Yorkers will go to the polls to elect a new mayor and a large number of City Council Members who are term-limited. The city voters will also elect borough presidents, comptroller and public advocate. So far, expected contestants for mayor include current Council Speaker Christine Quinn,  US Representative Anthony Weiner, NYC Comptroller William Thompson, and City Council Member Tony Avella. Keep an eye on this page as we learn more about who is running. Quinn is a former housing activist who represents a district heavy with rent regulated tenants, public housing tenants as well as some of the city's most vocal affordable housing activists.  See the January 2006 issue of Tenant/Inquilino for more background on Quinn. Weiner voted, when he was in the City Council in 1994, for vacancy decontrol.

New York State: In November of 2008, the entire state legislature is up for election. While it is very difficult to beat an incumbent, there are several Republican State Senators who will be in serious races. Two Republican Senators representing New York City tenants will have Democratic challengers: Serphin Maltese and Frank Padavan from Queens.

Clean Elections, Clean Money: The ONLY way to keep the real estate lobby off our rent laws is to win campaign finance reform for New York State. End the system that allows upstate senate candidates to run elections using NYC landlord money - and allows them to vote on issues that do not affect their constituents. Check out Citizens Action NYC.

by Kenny Schaeffer, Met Council Board Member