New Yorkers today are in a displacement crisis. Our City is destroying public housing and allowing luxury towers in modest neighborhoods. This forces out longtime residents and small businesses. Developers are also funneling billions of dollars towards casinos.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, responsible for initiating the crisis, was decisively defeated in the primary election. Yet with big real estate’s backing, he’s running for mayor in this general election with his displacement agenda.
Cuomo has long championed privatization of public housing through programs like RAD/PACT, which turns public housing funding and revenues over to private companies. This leads to increased eviction of residents. Unsurprisingly, the same developers profiting off of the destruction of public housing in Chelsea right now are also backing Cuomo for mayor.
The proposed casinos in NYC, which face huge pushback from communities across the city, are the result of Cuomo’s 2013 amendment to the State Constitution. Cuomo has no issue spreading gambling addiction to destroy families and giving developers yet another method to siphon the time and health of our community into profits.
As Governor, Cuomo and developers instituted programs like the extension of 421-a, which mandated some “affordable housing” in return for big tax breaks. The resulting few “affordable” units are unaffordable to the majority of people, while many more high-priced market-rate units were built. They make our already high rent rise even more and increase property taxes for homeowners and small businesses.
Big luxury projects that Cuomo was so fond of, like Atlantic Yards, went even further: not even a single promised affordable unit was built, after the community was already displaced.
We call on communities across the city to reject Cuomo in this coming election. Chinatown and the Lower East Side have proven that, when we unite across trade, race and age against the big real estate’s displacement agenda, we can win. We’ve built a movement to push for the community-led rezoning plan, the Chinatown Working Group Plan, which enshrines the following principles: deep affordability on any new development, 100% affordable housing on public land, and height limits to stop real estate speculation.
Despite the same backers for Cuomo fighting hard against this plan over the years, our communities have gained many victories.
We stopped the four luxury megatowers in the Lower East Side that would destroy the homes of many neighboring residents. We saved Elizabeth Street Garden and secured hundreds of new affordable units along the way. In this past primary election, we defeated real estate candidate Jess Coleman and re-elected the anti-displacement Council Member Chris Marte. If people can win in lower Manhattan against big real estate, we can win throughout New York City.
Andrew Cuomo is the real estate industry’s last gasp in this election cycle. Let’s bring a crushing defeat to their displacement agenda: say NO to Cuomo in this coming election.
peoplefirstnyc.org 