FTC - Building Tenant Power in 2023

Emerging from the height of the pandemic,  Flatbush Tenant Coalition has been a powerful force for tenant rights in 2022! Here's some of what we accomplished in the last year...and with your support, we'll grow even stronger in 2023!

Right to Counsel:  We are the lead Brooklyn organizing group in the Right to Counsel Coalition.  Together with other RTC member groups, we:

• launched our DefendRTC campaign, fighting to ensure the Office of Court Administration respects NYC tenants’ Right to Counsel (RTC).  We passed the Right to Counsel law in NYC in 2017, and since then more than 86% of tenants with an RTC attorney have been able to stay in their homes.  

• laid the groundwork to pass Statewide Right to Counsel in the coming 2023 legislative session.  Statewide RTC will improve RTC for NYC tenants,  spread it across the state, force the courts to automatically pause eviction cases until tenants obtain legal representation , and unleash RTC’s full organizing potential to fundamentally shift power dynamics in eviction courts and build tenant power across the state.

FTC Youth Storytellers

• celebrated the official launch of our FTC Youth Storyteller’s podcast - Resist & Reimagine, on “the fight for housing rights, land rights, and how we organize to win.” https://resistreimagine.buzzsprout.com/

Organizing tenant associations & fighting for repairs

• Together with other members of the StabilizingNYC Coalition, organized tenants in buildings owned by Jason Korn, INK, and Highcastle/Newcastle to win three significant settlements for tenants for housing code violations, false certifications, and illegal overcharges.

• Launched an innovative Repairs Enforcement campaign to simultaneously win repairs, stop evictions, and fundamentally shift power dynamics in housing court. A revolving fund allows tenant leaders to meet rent deposit requirements in housing court to establish they do not owe rent because they have "rent impairing violations", a set of particularly dangerous housing code violations.   This is part of an organizing strategy to win Clean Hands Legislation, which would prevent landlords from starting eviction proceedings or collecting rent if they force their tenants to live in dangerous conditions.

• Provided organizing support to just over three dozen tenant associations, winning rent reductions, coordinating rent strikes, obtaining hundreds of repairs and stopping tenant harassment.

• educated more than 9,500 tenants on their rights and available resources through tenant association workshops; monthly coalition meetings; Know Your Rights presentations to PTAs, local public school Community Education Councils, street outreach and door-knocking in buildings

• Connected over 2,500 tenants to legal, immigration, rent support and other services and resources