Elected Officials and Tenants Rally to Demand Landlord Sell Building to Tenants

Tenants Call for Passage of Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act and Community Opportunity to Purchase Act to Help Them Buy Building

Tenants At 63 Tiffany Pl. Will Be Priced Out of New York City Unless Landlord Sells to Tenants or Nonprofit

Photos and Videos of Event Available Here

BROOKLYN, NY – 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 today. 

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 and 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 right 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 representing 63 Tiffany Place, including U.S. Representative Dan Goldmam, State Senator Andrew Gounardes, State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, also sent a letter to Irving Lawrence calling on him to re-engage in negotiations with the tenants.

Elected officials at the rally included New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senator Zellnor Myrie (Senate sponsor of TOPA), Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes (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.

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.