Linda Peterson (Our Bronx tenant leader) on 42 years of fighting for tenant rights

Hello, Purina Sanchez.

I hope I said it right.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Linda Peterson.

I live at 2170 University Avenue, right next to the Francis Martin Library, Apartment 1T.

I am a member of our Bronx and the leader of the Housing Steering Committee,

fighting for tenants'rights.

I have lived in my building for 42 years.

I work to bring our neighbors together and organize to get repairs done.

The rent has gotten much too high, especially for new tenants.

This is not just in my building, but all around the city.

When I have a problem, I call 311, and they ask me if I want to be anonymous.

But I want my landlord, Chestnut Holdings, to know that I put in the complaint, and my issue hasn't been taken care of.

If it were not taken care of,

I wouldn't have, I mean, if it was taken care of, I would not have to put in a complaint.

But a lot of my neighbors don't know about their rights, and they suffer through hard conditions.

We have been fighting for these rights for so long, so I am always going to speak up for them.

I am testifying so that the landlords who are not doing what they say they are going to do move on, so that the residents can have an opportunity to own

our building as a community and to make sure that the right people are buying and managing our building and taking care of our needs.

It can help us stay in our community and not get put out when big investors try to buy up our buildings.

When I watch the news and I see how my neighbors in the Bronx have to deal with...

Holes in the ceilings, no elevators, working big fires in their building.

I say a prayer, and I think this is why we need more people to come together and to fight for our rights and for a law like COPA.

COPA would have, ooh, Lord.

Okay.

And I just want to say keeping us safe and pass COPA as soon as possible.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.