Edward Garcia (Our Bronx) on COPA and Safer Homes as complementary tools
Garcia describes Safer Homes as intervening when landlords fail and buildings fall into severe distress, and COPA as breaking the cycle when buildings change hands. He argues both bills address the housing crisis at two critical points and urges passage.
Thank you.
Thank you, Rachel.
Thank you, Council Committee on Housing and Chair Sanchez for holding this hearing.
My name is Edward Garcia.
I'm the co-organizing director of our Bronx, formerly known as Northwest Bronx Community and Clothing Coalition.
And we fight to protect tenants and empower them to fight for safe and dignified housing and long-term community stability.
And we work with tenants across the Bronx that are living with mold and vermin.
Structural damage as Stephanie and Richard just alluded to and more people will speak to and and they have organized and documented conditions and code 311
1-1 file complaints and attended hearings like this ones before, but too often the cycle continues.
Violations accumulate, buildings deteriorate, and tenants are left waiting for meaningful intervention.
And this is why we need Safer Homes Act.
Safer homes will give the city stronger tools to intervene when buildings are in severe distress and hold negligent landlords accountable like Mr.
Red Park Cash.
And create pathway towards responsible ownership and long-term stabilization.
And I would add that for our Bronx, responsible ownership also includes tenant ownership.
Buildings cannot be allowed to remain in limbo while tenants continue living in unsafe conditions.
We also need to think about what happens when these buildings change hands.
When a neglected, affordable building comes up for sale, COPA creates an opportunity to break that cycle.
Rather than simply transferring the building from one owner to another,
COPA can create an opportunity for responsible, missile-driven organizations, including community land trusts, to purchase and preserve these buildings.
For tenants, a change in ownership should be an opportunity for something better, to move from neglect to responsible ownership, preserve affordability, and stabilize the building for long term.
At our Bronx, we organize around tenant and community ownership because we know that responsible ownership can preserve affordability, prevent displacement, and strengthen communities.
Both Safer Homes and COPA give us the tool to address the housing crisis at two critical points.
Safer Homes
help us intervene when landlords fail and buildings fall into severe distress, and COPA gave us an opportunity to potentially break that cycle when those buildings are transferred to responsible ownership.
Thank you.