Dear friend, 

It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of our city is at stake in the next month and a half. 

By the end of June, the Council will vote on the next city budget, laying out our city’s spending priorities and investment plans through the next fiscal year from July 2022 to June 2023.

And, on June 21, the Rent Guidelines Board will take a final vote on proposed rent adjustments for rent-stabilized tenants across New York City. 

Originally, the Rent Guidelines Board proposed rent hikes for regulated tenants of up to 9%. On May 5, the Board made a preliminary recommendation to increase rents by up to 2%-4%.

Decision makers on the City Council and the Rent Guidelines Board need to hear directly from you that our city can’t afford an austerity budget as we continue to recover from this pandemic, and we can’t afford unconscionable rent increases as inflation cuts into working peoples’ pocketbooks as it is. 

We need you to make your voice heard before the City Council and the Rent Guidelines Board. Keep reading to find out how you can take action.

Join me for a budget town hall this Wednesday, May 18 

If you haven’t heard yet, every part of our City government from housing to sanitation is poised to lose if the Mayor passes his austerity budget. From Sunset Park to Astoria, progressive Council Members like myself are fighting back to ensure we pass a budget that puts the needs of working people first.

This Wednesday, May 18 from 6:00PM-7:30PM, join me and Council Members Shahana Hanif, Sandy Nurse, Jen Gutierrez and Tiffany Cabán for a town hall meeting on the city budget. We’ll talk about what cuts mean for communities like ours and how you can make your voice heard.

RSVP here: bit.ly/BudgetTownHall2022

Testify before the City Council next Wednesday, May 25

On Wednesday, May 25, the City Council will hear testimony from the public on the city budget. The hearing will be completely virtual and conducted via Zoom. You can join via video or phone, but video is recommended. The hearing will start at 10am and likely last well into the evening.

To testify before the City Council Finance Committee on May 25, you must register via this link by this Sunday, May 22. Be sure to select the May 25 Finance Committee on the dropdown menu that reads “select a hearing.”

You may also submit written testimony via the same link up to 72 hours after the hearing next Wednesday. Testimony will be limited to two minutes only.

Testify before the Rent Guidelines Board and demand a Brooklyn hearing

Now is not the time to approve the biggest rent hike in decades. 

In past years, tenants have organized and mobilized ahead of the Rent Guidelines Board final vote to defeat unconscionable rent hikes. Given the hard economic circumstances tenants face today, I joined my colleagues in the Council’s Progressive Caucus in demanding not just a rent freeze, but a rent rollback this year.

There are several ways to make your voice heard ahead of the Rent Guidelines Board’s final vote on June 21. The Rent Guidelines Board will hold a public hearing in Jamaica, Queens on Monday, June 13, followed by a meeting at Hostos Community College on Wednesday, June 15. Registration for public hearings will open at 9AM on Monday, May 23, you may register as soon as next Monday via this link.

Notice something missing? There will be no public hearing in Brooklyn or even in Manhattan before the Board’s final vote. You can email your thoughts in writing to board@nycrgb.org and demand a Brooklyn public hearing.

Finally, if you cannot attend in-person or virtually, you can submit video or audio testimony via this link.

Never testified before at a public hearing? New Yorkers of all stripes should feel empowered to speak their mind before public officials.

Our office can provide facts and figures on how cuts in the city budget or how rent hikes affect working people, but we need you to bring the fire. Tell your story, share how city policy impacts you and don’t be afraid to make your voice heard.

For questions on preparing testimony before the Rent Guidelines Board or on the city budget, contact my office at 718-439-9012, or email us at district38@council.nyc.gov.

Sincerely,

Council Member

Alexa Avilés