Sharon Jasprizza, May 5, 2026, 9:30 am-11:00 am, ZOOM.US

NOTE ABOUT THIS RECAP: This meeting recap, based on summaries generated by AI, has been revised for clarity and reformatted to adhere to the established style of MSCC, including edits and additional information that AI did not comprehend.

SUMMARY

• Kshama Sawant, Workers Strike Back / Former Seattle City Council Member, and Alberto Oliart: They expressed strong solidarity with FEC tenants fighting NYCHA privatization. Kshama shared successful class-struggle strategies from Seattle, such as taking over housing authority sessions and organizing walkouts. She also advised rebranding the Stock Transfer Tax as a “Wall Street Tax” to clearly communicate that it targets the wealthy and builds working-class support.
• Yolanda, No More 24: Highlighted the campaign to end the exploitative, government-sanctioned 24-hour workday for home care workers, who are only paid for 13 hours. She described the practice as racist and sexist violence. She criticized Mayor Mamdani for undermining the No More 24 Act and announced a massive rally at City Hall on May 15th following a 7-day hunger strike.
• Miriam Fisher, Disability Activist: Voiced concerns from the disability community that eliminating 24-hour shifts without explicitly funded split-shift replacements could leave disabled individuals without round-the-clock care, risking their independence.
• Jack Lester, Attorney: Discussed his lawsuit against the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX) . He argued that the city’s Environmental Impact Statement admits the plan will violate the Clean Air Act and increase cancer risks with no proposed mitigation, breaching state environmental laws.

MINUTES: Sharon Jasprizza

APRIL HIGHLIGHTS

• Exciting Updates from the MSCC Urban Farm!  🌱Our MSCC Urban Farm is officially up and running! We’ve got beautiful new planter boxes in place, fresh seedlings are taking root, and we’ve got even more supplies on the way. 🌿🥬 Behind the scenes, our incredible volunteers are hard at work creating a calendar of events and developing rosters for all our essential activities—from planting and watering to weeding and harvesting. Their dedication is what makes this community thrive!
• We’re also looking ahead to potential expansion on our upstate farm and are eagerly awaiting further instructions on this front. Our big dream? To purchase a small acreage upstate to expand our mission! We’re open to all ideas, especially creative suggestions on how we might fund such a purchase. 💭💰
• At the end of the day, our success is measured by: The abundance of our harvests each year; the number of volunteers who give their time and heart; the community events we host; and the support we provide to neighbors needing both healthy food and a sense of community.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION(S) AND OR UPDATES:

Alex Yong, MSCC

• Mentioned the Right to Counsel Coalition video is available on YouTube regarding free attorneys in housing court.

Caitlin Cahill, MSCC, and Renee Keitt, Elliott Chelsea Residence Association

• Noted that Fulton and Elliott Chelsea residents voted in large numbers to let developers know they do not want their homes demolished.
• Warned that Penn South, a well-established community sitting on prime real estate, will be the next target for developers.
• Stressed that the fight is not just for public housing, but to stop the west side of Manhattan from being given away piece by piece.

STEERING GOVERNANCE AND EXPANDING PEOPLE POWER

Alberto Oliart, Workers Strike Back

• A member of Workers Strike Back, working on Kshama Sawant’s congressional campaign, and expressed strong solidarity with the FEC tenants.
• Pointed out the problem with progressive Democrats, such as Mayor Mamdani, who justify real estate deals using legalistic terms rather than fighting alongside the working class.
• Emphasized that any strategy must recognize that everything beneficial for the working class will be fought against by the ruling class.

Kshama Sawant, Workers Strike Back / Former Seattle City Council Member

• Shared strategies from Seattle, where they successfully defeated the federal “Moving to Work” (Stepping Forward) program in 2014, which would have increased public housing rents by 400%.
• Detailed how they organized hundreds of tenants to take over housing authority “information sessions,” turning them into battlegrounds by chanting (e.g., “Where are the jobs?”) and organizing walkouts.
• Emphasized the importance of aggressive, class-struggle-based strategies and explicitly shaming politicians at “City Hall Speak Outs” rather than just passively presenting facts.
• Regarding the Stock Transfer Tax (which would raise $14 to $16 billion annually), strongly advised calling it a “Wall Street Tax” so ordinary people clearly understand it targets the wealthy, similar to how they successfully passed the “Amazon Tax” in Seattle.
• Offered to help organize follow-up rallies and canvas tenants at FEC to build a wider working-class movement.

THE HUNGER STRIKE & NO MORE 24 BILL Int 0303-2026

Yolanda, No More 24

• Discussed the campaign to end the 24-hour workday for home care workers, a system that forces aides to work 24-hour shifts while only paying them for 13 hours .
• Described the practice as a government-sanctioned, racist, and sexist violence that has severely disabled predominantly immigrant women of color in New York City .
• Criticized Mayor Mamdani, who previously promised to end the 24-hour workdays but is now undermining the bill, claiming that women “choose” to work these long hours, and hiding behind insurance company profits.
• Noted that the UN sent a letter of condemnation to the U.S. government regarding these shifts, calling it a crime against humanity.
• Announced that following a 7-day hunger strike, the coalition is calling for a massive rally at City Hall on May 15th to pass the No More 24 Act.

Miriam Fisher, Disability Activist

• Expressed deep concerns from the disability community, including the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled, regarding the No More 24 legislation.
• Feared that eliminating the 24-hour shifts without proper insurance regulations for split shifts could leave disabled individuals without round-the-clock care, risking their independence and forcing them into nursing homes.
• Requested that regulations be carefully drafted to ensure patients receive proper coverage and that split shifts are approved by insurance companies.

Tom Gogan, Move the Money Campaign

• Argued that the clear solution is to end the 24-hour shifts and implement split shifts; it is up to the government and insurance companies to find the funding.
• Pointed out that 6 out of 10 tax dollars are currently directed to the Pentagon and endless wars.
• Stated that resources must be redirected from militarism to fund essential domestic needs like home care, housing, and education.

MSMX PLAN

Jack Lester, Attorney

• Detailed his lawsuit against the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, highlighting that the city’s own Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) explicitly admits the increased density will violate the Clean Air Act.
• Noted the EIS acknowledges a specific location where increased density and proximity to industrial/commercial uses will increase the risk of cancer, yet the city proposed no mitigation.
• Argued this failure to mitigate environmental impacts is a clear-cut violation of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and the State Green Amendment.
• Announced a hearing is expected in June or July before Judge Leipowitz in State Supreme Court at 60 Center Street and encouraged the community to pack the courtroom.

Damyanti Radheshwar, Architect and Urban Planner

• Pointed out that the MSMX EIS entirely fails to address insufficient infrastructure, such as parks, schools, hospitals, and medical institutions.
• Suggested implementing a car-free Broadway from Union Square to Columbus Circle, which would immediately improve air quality and provide much-needed park space for the community.

CHAT BOX

• Alex Yong: The STT isn’t about taxing billionaires, it taxes the upwardly mobile, and most of the STT tax revenue will come from out of state. It was a tax levied from the years 1905-1981 and is NY State level legislation. Here is the tax credit video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urMAhspMtX4. Regarding the MSMX plan, click on this map image to see the 4 MSMX “quadrants”.
• Ruth Conner: Referring to a “Wall Street tax” is a fabulous idea for public understanding.
• Yolanda (No More 24): We have the same fight against Mamdani’s YIMBY agenda— Yes for 24-hr workdays in Our Back Yards — not in other countries, but a government-sanctioned sweatshop in the US. Home care workers’ 7 days and nights of hunger strike successfully made even Menin commit to pass the No More 24 Act, but Mamdani is more effectively helping insurance companies to kill more women of color. May 15 large rally info: https://www.instagram.com/p/DX5Fhk2Er7m/?igsh=b2Nva3VjbnNub3Az. Home care workers put their bodies on the line to show there is a way to unite against insurance companies’ interest.
• Caitlin Cahill: Disability groups should organize with the No More 24 workers to unite against the insurance companies who are profiting on pain. Campaign site: https://nomore24.org/.
• Alberto Oliart: I’m down to help door knock other NYCHA buildings. My email is ertoliart@gmail.com and Kshama’s is kshamavsawant@gmail.com. Mamdani’s attitude regarding 24-hour workdays is outrageous. Nurses have to fight for healthcare, homecare workers must fight to not become patients, and teachers are having record mental health problems because of their workload and low pay. Across the board, the capitalist system is brutal.
• Kshama Sawant: My email address is kshamavsawant@gmail.com and our congressional campaign website is kshamasawant.org — please join us!.
• Miriam Fisher: Today is the first time disability activists have had the opportunity to speak at City Council to articulate their concerns and difficulties with insurance.
• Roschel Holland Stearns: MainChance Drop-In Center at 120 East 32nd St will be shut down at the end of June if the City gets its way, and I am on the board.

ANNOUNCEMENTS / EVENTS

Roschel Holland Stearns

• Announced that the city is once again trying to shut down the Main Chance drop-in center on Lexington Avenue by the end of June.
• Stated that the board chair plans to fight this in court, as the city’s reasons are inappropriate and they provided almost no time to respond.
• Emphasized that the center is a vital program providing a real resource for unhoused individuals living on the street.

NEXT Meeting Homeless and Housing Meeting: 9:30 AM Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Always the 1st Tuesday of every month. Contact hello@midtownsouthcc.org or john.mudd@usa.net for more information and Zoom invitations.