After 20 plus years in the making there is a new live/work legislation. Legislation sponsored by Senator Martin Malavé Dilan (D-Brooklyn) passed in the Senate extending basic protections to those calling commercial loft space home.This legislation is sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez. The bill has passed both houses and awaits the Governor’s approval.

The New York State Senator leadership in charge of the agenda can be reached by phone, fax and email:  Ask them  TODAY to put Senate Bill S5881 ( Multiple Dwelling Law – aka the Brooklyn Loft Law) on the agenda.

Jeffrey D. Klein
518-455-3595
Toll Free – (800) 718-2039
jdklein@senate.state.ny.us

John L. Sampson
Tel: (518) 455-2788
Email: sampson@senate.state.ny.us

Malcolm A Smith
Tel: (518) 455-2701
masmith@senate.state.ny.us

Will the Senate Take Up Tenant Demands?

When the Republicans orchestrated a coup on the State Senate on June 8, many political insiders considered the movement to reform New York’s rent laws dead for this year. However, Met Council and other housing groups from across the city began sending dozens of tenants to Albany on a daily basis. We packed the hallways around the Senate chambers and held lively protests. We all wore red “Real Rent Reform” tee-shirts, we all held huge signs, and our loud chants filled the halls of the Capitol building. Tenant groups were the only ones to be in Albany every single day after the coup. The Senators, and the media, took notice. This outpouring of energetic support moved our issues back to the forefront of the political debate, and it kept our issue alive.

What Can Tenants Do:

Every day, call and write to Governor Patterson, your State Senator, and the leader of the Senate Democrats, John Sampson, and urge them to support tenants in the extraordinary sessions by making sure that they include the housing bills on any legislative agenda that they negotiate.
John Sampson can be reached at (518) 455-2788 or sampson@senate.state.ny.us. You can find your State Senator’s contact information at: http://www.nysenate.gov/senators.

You can reach Governor Patterson’s office at 518-474-8390.

The Governor’s most influential aides can be reached at Larry.Schwartz@chamber.state.ny.us
Peter.Kiernam@chamber.state.ny.us
Haley.Plourde-Cole@chamber.state.ny.us

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Please consider volunteering at Met Council! The Met Council staff is working ’round-the-clock to ensure a tenant victory in Albany, and we need extra support answering tenant questions on our hotline and performing a variety of administrative tasks. If you can handle a walk up two flights of stairs to our office and have time to get involved, contact Rachel at 212-979-6238 extension 207 or rachel@metcouncil.net to find out how you can get involved.

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“I agree that this is important legislation.  The extension to the current Loft Law would facilitate constructive relationships between tenants and loft building owners through the loft board, protect tenant’s rights and any structural improvements they make or have made to their neighborhoods, as well as provide building owners with a reasonable timeline to make required building modifications.”

Quoted from an e-mail letter sent to constituents, June 29th, 2009.

It never hurts to thank her for her support:

State Senator Liz Krueger <liz@lizkrueger.com>

Tel:   (212) 490-9535 / Fax:  (212) 490-2151

Albany Office

Tel:   (518) 455-2297 / Fax:  (518) 426-6874

Email: lkrueger@senate.state.ny.us

Dear Friends, Neighbors and Fellow New Yorkers,

An urgent matter needs your immediate attention BEFORE Senate sessions end next week!

Assembly Bill A05667 and Senate Bill S5881 passed the Assembly on June 17th and is now before the Senate.

The GOP and the Dems are currently tied, neither party has a majority of Senators or vote. Senators on both sides of the aisle MUST hear from their constituents that they support this bill.

The purpose of this bill is to extend provisions of the Loft Law to buildings which have been occupied residentially by two or more families for any 12 consecutive months during the period starting January 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009.

This legislation would create a new window period for recognition of the rights of loft tenants whose occupancy was not covered by the original, 1983, Loft Law and thus will protect thousands of NYC residents who are now facing eviction.

See Assembly bill summary:

http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A05667

(Same for Senate: http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi) Bill No S5881

Senator Squadron has sponsored the bill and is currently trying to push it through the senate.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO CALL or WRITE YOUR LOCAL SENATOR and OTHERS NY SENATORS AND TELL THEM THAT YOU SUPPORT the Loft Law BILL S5881.

NY Senators Contacts:

http://www.nysenate.gov/senators

Key Senator Contacts:

Bill Sponsor: Senator Squadron:

District 25 (All of Lower Manhattan, Soho, Lower East Side, Edge of

Brooklyn and Queens)

http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/daniel-l-squadron/contact

Senator Ruben Diaz (Senate’s Housing Committee Member) District 32,

Bronx

http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/ruben-diaz/contact

Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson (District 36, Bronx)

http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/ruth-hassell-thompson/contact

Liz Krueger (D) District 26, Manhattan’s East Side

http://www.nysenate.gov/senator/liz-krueger/contact

PLEASE ALSO FORWARD THIS LETTER TO ANYONE ONE YOU KNOW LIVING IN NYC. THE MORE CALLS AND LETTERS THE SENATE RECEIVES THE BETTER THE CHANCES THE BILL WILL PASS.

Thank you for your immediate attention, many individuals and families depend on this new legislation.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO CALL or WRITE YOUR LOCAL SENATOR and OTHERS NY SENATORS AND TELL THEM THAT YOU SUPPORT the Loft Law BILL S5881.

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Dear Senator XX,

I’m writing about the Loft Law (Senate Bill S5881), passed by the Assembly on June 17th (Assembly Bill A05667) and is now before the Senate. I ask that you support this legislation and votein favor of this bill.

Thousands of NYC residents, individuals and families, desperately need
protection under this new legislation. Without it, they face eviction.

Thank you for supporting this vital legislation.

Name
Constituent
District X

The NYS Assembly Passes Loft Law Amendment 102 in favor  / 42 against

The Bill S5881 is now before the Senate.

With only a few days in this legislative period left over, our lawmaker should be urged to vote on it.

Follow the bill on the Senate’s website: http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi

The Bill creates a new window period for recognition of loft tenants.

This Bill is extremely pressing as the conflicting rulings by the First and Second Department Appellate Divisions will soon face resolution in the NYS Court of Appeals. Were this decision to favor the Brooklyn reading of the ETPA, about a thousand loft tenants will face immediate eviction.