NEW YORK — In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on Monday, a demonstration was held on the street against the eviction of tenants from a building at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Kent Street.

“I’ve been living here since the beginning of time. I’m 44 now, I was born and raised here, so 44 years old,” tenant George Mendoza said.

According to Mendoza, seven years ago the new owner of the building raised the rent on him and his parents from $250 a month to roughly $2,000.

Mendoza says his parents are senior citizens, living on social security. "They get, what $1,100 social security? Where are they going to go?” Mendoza said.

He and others in the building claimed it was rent controlled and shouldn’t have been subject to such a dramatic rent increase. But a judge sided with the landlord, so they may have to move out after the current coronavirus pandemic-related eviction moratorium ends in September.

So housing advocates are using this as a rallying cry for what’s called the “Good Cause Eviction” bill.

“If you are a tenant that has been paying rent, it’s not a non-payment case and there’s no other justification a nuisance case...you are entitled to a renewal lease at a rate that is not more than 3% increase from your current rent,” State Sen. Julia Salazar, a Democrat representing Brooklyn, said about the bill she sponsors.

The bill failed to gain traction in the state legislature in 2019 and was dropped from the most sweeping housing reforms passed in decades, in part because with some exceptions, opponents say one-year leases turn into lifetime leases that only tenants can break.

“Locking tenants in long-terms leases for life, taking away property owners’ rights, is a recipe for disaster and not the direction we should be going in for New York City or New York state,” said Jay Martin, the executive director of the Community Housing Improvement Program, which represents the interests of about 4,000 building owners in the state.

Landlords and their representatives maintain that it would essentially extend rent stabilization laws to non-regulated buildings and further reduce the quantity and quality of the housing stock.

The bill does not have a lot of mainstream Democratic support. Currently, it’s got longshot chances.

But perhaps no more so than the wishes of tenants at the rally.

“I want to see maybe a new lease,” Mendoza said. “I don’t mind paying $1,300, $1,400.”

NY1 reached out to the landlord. She has not provided a comment yet.

------

Did you know you can now watch, read and stay informed with NY1 wherever and whenever you want? Get the new Spectrum News app here.

------

Looking for an easy way to learn about the issues affecting New York City?

Listen to our "Off Topic/On Politics" podcast: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | RSS