Dear Friends and Supporters,

Through years of organizing and struggle, the Bowery tenants were finally able to sign an agreement with landlord Joseph Betesh. This is an unprecedented agreement that sets in stone items like: guaranteed deadline of August 31st with penalty on landlord if passed; guaranteed hotel stay paid by the landlord throughout the repair; rent-stabilized leases; compensation for property damages, loss of rooms and lawyer’s fee; no rent increase for repairs.

It is a stunning accomplishment, and it could have not been achieved without the support of the community, and that includes you. It shows the people united will never be defeated. However, we should not forget the years of suffering the tenants had to go through; it could have been avoided had Mayor Bill de Blasio adopted the Chinatown Working Group rezoning plan to protect the community.