Dear Governor Hochul, Mayor de Blasio, Borough Presidents Adams, Donovan, Brewer, Diaz and Oddo, Speaker Johnson, and leaders Heastie and Stewart-Cousins:
Earlier this month we learned the horrific price of unsafe living conditions in basement apartments. With climate change accelerating, it is certain that this will not be the last time flooding of this magnitude will occur. Immediate action needs to be taken to make basement apartments safer.
People look for places to live which they can afford. For over 100,000 people in New York City, and many more throughout Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and upstate New York, that is currently basement apartments. In the long term, we need more and better affordable housing options in all neighborhoods, and we need to make sure all New Yorkers have fair access to these housing options. We also need a comprehensive plan for managing climate change, flooding and sea level rise, in order to mitigate the negative effects they have on health and well-being, particularly on older adults. But even in a best case scenario these changes will take decades, and it is imperative that tragedies like this don’t happen again. The status quo is not acceptable in either the long-term or short-term.
Homeowners need more tools to make their basement apartments safer. Legalization needs to be made easier, not harder. Punishing and criminalizing basement apartments will not make basements safer and will not save lives. Instead, it will only create more fear and suspicion, preventing the ability to work with owners and tenants to upgrade these units. Currently, many people living in illegal basement apartments have a choice between unsafe conditions and homelessness. Some homeowners have a choice between renting out an illegal basement apartment and foreclosure. These cannot be the only options.
Fortunately they do not have to be. Housing advocates, neighborhood organizations and civic associations have long worked on this issue. From needed state legislation to specific local building code changes, there is a way forward. As follows are immediate actions which can be taken on the part of our government leaders. There are many ways to improve safety and quality of life in basement apartments.
Specifically we urge you to do the following:
Work with the legislature to pass A-4854/S-4547, a statewide framework for building, legalizing and helping fund safe Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) creation and conversions, including basement apartments.
Pass common-sense building code changes as outlined in City Council Intro 2261. Our codes need to be easier to follow and better suited to the reality of our housing stock.
Commit to a comprehensive citywide basement apartment safety and legalization program that can be put in place on day one of a new mayoral administration. This program needs to allow owners to upgrade illegal dwelling units to safe and legal apartments without fear of fines and criminal charges, and for tenants to keep affordable rents while improving safety and living conditions. In cases where legalization may prove impossible, work with local organizations and city agencies to find safe housing options for existing tenants.
Fully and immediately fund existing programs, such as the East New York Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program. These programs not only bring individual units up to safety standards, but also provide an invaluable opportunity to learn about barriers and possibilities directly from homeowners, tenants and community organizations on the ground.
Work with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and other financial institutions to put in place a simple and scalable financing program for owners to upgrade and legalize basement apartments.
Remove any additional parking requirements for ADUs and basement conversions. We cannot privilege parking over health and safety.
Conduct a thorough audit of our stormwater and sewer systems, with immediate interventions in areas which have led to back-up flooding of basements. This assessment can also inform longer-term investments aimed at improving drainage and sewer capacity.
These are the actions that will save lives, prevent homelessness and stabilize neighborhoods.
All of us stand ready to help in any way we can.
Sincerely,
Jessica Katz
Executive Director, Citizens Housing and Planning Council
Moses Gates
VP Housing & Community Planning, Regional Plan Association
Nora Moran
Director of Policy & Advocacy, United Neighborhood Houses
Ryan Chavez
Director of Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
Christie Peale
CEO, Center for NYC Neighborhoods, Inc.
Salvatore D’Avola
Executive Director, Neighborhood Restore HDFC
Debbian Fletcher-Blake
CEO, Vocational Instruction Project (VIP) Community Services, Inc.
Judith Rosenfeld
VP Special Projects, Breaking Ground
Laura Mascuch
Executive Director, Supportive Housing Network of New York
Baaba Halm
VP & Market Leader, NY, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Rebekah Morris
Senior Program Manager, Pratt Center for Community Development
Beth Finkel
State Director, AARP New York
Aaron Carr
Executive Director, Housing Rights Initiative
Jose Lopez
Co-Executive Director, Make the Road NY
Annetta Seecharran
Executive Director ED, Chhaya CDC
Emily Goldstein
Director of Organizing & Advocacy, ANHD
Shoshana Hershkowitz
Project Director, Long Island Social Justice Action Network (LISJAN)
Cea Weaver
Campaign Coordinator, Housing Justice for All
Serena Martin-Liguori
Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children–LI
Lucas Sanchez
Deputy Director/Long Island Director, New York Communities for Change
Ava Farkas
Executive Director, Met Council on Housing
Brahvan Ranga
Political Coordinator, For the Many
Joe Sackman
Steering Committee Member, Long Island Activists
Jayette Lansbury
President, NAMI Huntington
Susan Karbiner
Co-chair, L.I. Region, Poor People’s Campaign
Dennis Hanratty
Executive Director, Mount Vernon United Tenants
Audrey Sasson
Executive Director, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ)
Steven Raga
Executive Director, Woodside on the Move
Whitney Hu
Director of Civic Engagement & Research, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH)
Emily Kurtz
Vice President IT, RiseBoro Community Partnership
Tenant Leaders of East Brooklyn
Housing Organizers for People Empowerment (HOPE)
Marc Greenberg
Executive Director, Interfaith Assembly on homelessness & Housing
Patrick Boyle
Director of Policy, NYSAFAH
Helen Schaub
Policy and Legislative Director, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
Jonathan Cohen
Managing Attorney of Housing Unit, Catholic Migration Services
Serena Martin-Liguori
Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children, Long Island
Donna Hylton
President/CEO, A Little Piece of Light, Long Island
ITU Organizing Team, Ithaca Tenants Union
Nia Adams
Membership & Community Coordinator, Long Island Progressive Coalition
David R. Jones
President and CEO, Community Service Society of New York
Michael McKee
Treasurer, Tenants Political Action Committee
Raquel Namuche
Coordinator, Ridgewood Tenants Union
Wasim Lone
Organizer, GOLES
Will Spisak
Senior Program Associate, New Economy Project
Teresa Watson, MSW
Housing Justice Organizer, PUSH Buffalo
Aga Trojniak
Director, Flatbush Tenants Coalition
Genesis Aquino
Executive Director, Tenants & Neighbors
United Neighbors Organization (UNO)
NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives
Susanna Blankley
Coalition Coordinator, Right to Counsel NYC
Jeannette Bocanegra
Justice for Families
Melanie Rowe
Co-Founder, Protecting Chrysalis
Jayette Lansbury
President, NAMI Huntington
Hailie Kim
Housing Organizer, Minkwon Center
Michael O’Brien
Housing Organizer, co-chair HJWG, Suffolk County DSA, Housing Justice Working Group (HJWG)
Rafael E. Cestero
President and CEO, Community Preservation Corporation
Denny Marsh
Executive Director, Neighbors Together
Sandy Guilluame
Second Chance Re-entry
Sharon Stagman
Co-Lead Organizer, Empire State Indivisible
Public Issues Committee
LI Council of Churches
Will Thomas
Executive Director, Open New York
