Dear friend, New York State's legislative session ended last week and the Governor and legislature have failed our communities yet again. They neglected to listen to the voices and priorities of renters, low-wage workers and students; failing to pass measures like Good Cause eviction legislation, the EmPIRE Worker Protection Act, Solutions not Suspensions, and the Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act. We’re deeply disappointed that our elected leaders failed to deliver dignity and justice for our community. With your help, we can continue to serve New Yorkers who have been left out. The inaction by state leaders has real consequences. Just ask Irene Cepeda, a member and mother of three who has lived in her apartment for the past 22 years, and now faces a sudden rent hike of $1,200 per month. For Irene, this massive rent increase is effectively an eviction notice. This is the story of thousands of renters across the state, yet our elected leaders have neglected to take any steps to protect the most vulnerable tenants.
Friend, we won’t accept this reality. We’ll be organizing tirelessly until Albany meets the needs of our communities, and we need your support. Donate now. $10 today can go a long way to keep this work going. Renters were not the only constituency disregarded. Students have fought for seven years to pass the Solutions not Suspensions Act, which would ensure the state’s most vulnerable and marginalized students – Black, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and students with disabilities – are no longer pushed out of their school communities because of ineffective and racially biased discipline policies. Albany leaders have stood in the way of young people's attempts to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. This is unacceptable. Immigrant and low-wage workers have also been forgotten. Nothing was done to solve our state's pervasive wage theft problem. The EmPIRE Worker Protection Act would bring in millions in revenue for the Department of Labor, raising enforcement across the state and empowering workers to combat labor violations. However, state leaders walked away from the table with nothing for our communities. Youth, immigrant and worker-led organizing is the only way forward. Our members are fighting for what they deserve and they need your help to continue. This pandemic has shed further light on the stark inequalities impacting Black and brown low-income families. From Brooklyn to Buffalo, our members and allies called upon Governor Hochul and legislative leaders to pass and implement meaningful policies that protect our homes, jobs, and schools. They failed us. We demand better in 2023, because our lives are at stake. We’re grateful to have your support. In solidarity, Jose Lopez, Co-Executive Director.
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