(INTERFAITH ASSEMBLY) Marc Greenberg — These are very significant days for those in our city who are homeless and those at risk of homelessness. As you well may know — TODAY, June 15, is the day that the current rent laws are set to expire — with nearly 2.5  million people (750,000 at or below the poverty line) depending on them to be renewed and strengthened.

A week ago Saturday, Governor Cuomo pledged in his piece the Daily News a very strong commitment to the renewal and strengthening of our rent laws.

Last Tuesday, over 2,000 tenants and their supporters flooded Albany to make sure that our elected officials hear our concerns.

However, as today’s deadline has approached, the Governor has said that “there isn’t enough time” to do more than simply extend the laws as they are — which would continue to result in the loss of tens of thousands of affordable housing a year (see the recent article)

The brutal fact is that virtually every time these laws have come up for renewal, they have been weakened – driven by the overwhelming influence of big money on New York politics. As noted in a recent New York Times editorial, as a result of “vacancy deregulation” over 300,000 affordable apartments have been permanently removed from rent regulations and other provisions now in place enable landlords, by making costly improvements,  to legally raise rents beyond the capacity of their tenants to pay.

It’s important to note that  Most indications are that the laws with be extended today or in the next few days and there is no immediate crisis for people in rental apartments today or this week  (though some landlords might take advantage of the confusion to intimidate tenants).

However, our allies with the Real Rent Reform Campaign have asked the all reach out to Governor Cuomo and all this week to urge him to keep his promises and renew and strengthen rent laws!! Let him know that you care deeply about the 2.5 million New Yorkers and SO SHOULD HE!!

We encourage you to call the Governors office today at (518)747-8390. press 3 (and call every day until the rent laws are renewed) and leave the message that renewing the rent laws as they are in NOT ENOUGH! The Governor must strengthen rent laws and end vacancy deregulation – and his commitment to the over 2 million new yorkers who depend on rent regulations will affect your support of the Governor in the future.

Also, if you get this message in time, you are invited to join some members of the Real Rent Reform campaign and Picket outside of the Governor’s New York Office TODAY, Monday, June 15 from 4:30 to 6:30pm — 633 Third Avenue (between 40th and 41st street.)

It is very likely that this issue will not be decided by midnight Monday. If this is the case, you are encouraged to calls again on Tuesday to Cuomo’s office. The more calls he gets on this issue the better! Get your friends and neighbors to call!