300 Nassau Avenue Tenants Urge Judge to Take Action
Assemblyman Joe Lentol, Council Member Stephen Levin, and over thirty supporters stood with the displaced tenants of 300 Nassau Avenue a week before Christmas to urge action to repair the building, restore these people to their homes, and bring their landlords to justice. Rolando Guzman, Assistant Director of Community Preservation at St. Nicks Alliance, NABE 3.0 was also in attendance. He has been a key motivator in the cause to return these tenants home since they were forced to leave after their building was damaged. “We ask for justice for these tenants. It’s unacceptable these tenants have to wait more than one year to get back to their homes. We’re now asking the judge for a quick resolution toward restitution,” said Mr. Guzman.
The damage to the building is believed to be caused by the landlords, whose reputation has earned them a spot on Public Advocate Letitia James’s NYC Landlord Watchlist. The thought is that the owners took measures to clear out the building’s longtime, rent-stabilized residents so they could replace them with people paying market-rate rents. With an average one bedroom apartment costing $2,680 (according to the most recent report by MNS Real Estate) as always money is an attractive incentive for ill-gotten gain. “Sadly, we see these kinds of tactics all the time. Too often tenants in these situations do not know their rights, don’t have the help of organizers and lawyers, and just give up,” said Adam Meyers, a lawyer for the non-profit law firm, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, which represents the tenants.
The Greenline 