The Right to Live Agenda

NEW YORK COMMUNITIES FOR CHANGE

THE RIGHT TO LIVE AGENDA

NEW YORK IS IN CRISIS

Half of New Yorkers in every county pay more rent than they can afford Apartments are not only expensive, but they are also the single largest source of pollution in the state The orange skies, deadly blizzards, flooded streets, and unbreathable air are our new reality Climate migration is bringing more families to New York: people who need the same things that we do Future climate disasters are projected to displace almost half of the families who live in NYC, and things will get even worse in the next six years if we don't cut climate heating pollution by 40%

Our communities are still recovering from COVID-19 Many of us lost our jobs during this time and still struggle to catch up on our debts 1 in 4 U S adults experienced psychological distress during the pandemic. In this crisis, services our communities rely on, like schools, libraries, and parks, are being cut. While we all struggle to pay rent, buy food, and breathe, landlords and the 1% are getting richer.

New York Communities for Change believes that:

New Yorkers Deserve Healthy Communities, But Fossil Fuels Are Making Us Sick

Everyone Deserves Access to Basic Needs, No Matter their Immigration Status

Public Safety Means Investments in Life-Giving Services for Communities.

EVERYONE DESERVES A HOME

We urgently call for common-sense solutions to New York’s housing challenges.

Half of US tenants can't afford rent. Tent cities and mass homeless encampments are growing by the day across the country In New York City, the number of families at risk of eviction has reached Great Depression-era levels, and half of tenants in every part of the state pay more rent than they can afford The Right to Shelter has protected New York City families from street homelessness, but now it is under attack Mayor Adams is using the asylum seekers as an excuse to gut this essential right Our government has failed to enact solutions to the crisis on every level Temporary housing in shelters and hotels costs more money than permanent housing Every New Yorker deserves a home Our government can achieve this by prioritizing policies that work over the demands of the landlord lobby

New York City must reinforce our dedication to sheltering anyone experiencing homelessness and Intro 0212, ending the 30/60 day rule, and pass the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act. Mayor Adams must implement the expansion of City FHEPS, effectively administer voucher programs and increase enforcement for sources of income discrimination We call for a $2.5 Billion capital investment in HPD’s Neighborhood Pillars Program and Open Doors Program over five years

New York State must pass a comprehensive set of laws to ensure safe homes for all This includes Livable New York (S8676/A9767), the Housing Access Voucher Program (S568B/A4021A) and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act It is crucial to strengthen rent stabilization to ensure fair processes for determining rent-stabilized status Additionally, we need to create a pathway to build publicly owned homes controlled by the people who live there through the creation of the Social Housing Development Authority (S8494/A9088) This also includes protecting low-income homeowners' pathway to generational wealth through property tax relief

Good Cause Eviction Protections created in the 2024 state budget must be enforced, and the Village of Hempstead should opt into Good Cause Protections.

It's time for practical solutions that create a livable future for everyday New Yorkers.

NEW YORK HAS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE IF THE WEALTHY PAY WHAT THEY OWE

New York State is the most unequal place in the nation.

While hardworking New Yorkers put in their time to support our families, the cost of living keeps going up because the ultra-rich exploit our communities New York State is the most unequal place in the nation The top 1% have taken almost a third of all income, while rising costs force hardworking people out of the city every year as more millionaires move in

The solution to these problems? Ensure the ultra-rich pay what they owe This means raising corporate taxes (S.1980/A3690), introducing a capital gains tax (S2162/A2576), setting up progressive income taxes (S2059/A3115), and more. We can bring in an extra $20 billion for the state just from these measures. That way, we can make sure we house everyone. We can also eliminate NY's top source of pollution, create programs for universal childcare and education and fully fund our schools, parks and libraries.

Rather than slashing budgets, Mayor Adams should use his sway In Albany to drum up support to tax the rich.

NEW YORKERS DESERVE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, BUT FOSSIL FUELS ARE MAKING US SICK

In low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, residents are dealing with higher asthma rates and are more likely to get sick or lose their homes in climate disasters.

We're calling for New York's local and state governments to lead the nation in combating climate change The easiest solution is to phase out fossil fuels and create good jobs while we transition to a green economy - clean energy and energy efficiency - that also lowers utility bills for working people

Mayor Adams should stop weakening NYC’s landmark climate/jobs law, Local Law 97, by regulation He should also not cut the city’s funding for energy efficiency for its own buildings Such actions cost jobs, increase utility bills and raise pollution We also call on the City Council to reject any legislation that would roll back Local Law 97, in particular Intro 772, which would gut the law Instead, the city should fully implement and enforce Local Law 97 and also increase funding for affordable housing to upgrade to high energy efficiency

New York state should pass Bucks for Boilers (S9099/A9990) and Livable NY (S8676/A9767) to require the phase-out of aging oil and gas boilers as they expire and need to be replaced - and fund the large, yearly subsidies needed to make energy efficiency and clean energy easily affordable to all, and tie strong labor standards to those subsidies to ensure good, union jobs for all New York can create hundreds of thousands of good jobs and lower utility bills in the process

Additionally, we're pushing for accountability from corporate giants like BlackRock, AIG, and CitiBank. We demand these corporations stop funding and insuring new fossil fuel projects immediately New York state should also properly regulate banks and insurance companies to end new fossil fuel projects and manage climate risk, including in a manner that won’t discriminate against working-class communities of color. We won't back down until they do.

EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS, NO MATTER THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS

Our government isn’t living up to its responsibility to protect all New Yorkers.

The pandemic highlighted the role of essential workers, but these same workers are excluded from vital benefits that other workers enjoy, like access to a minimum wage and unemployment assistance The recent wave of new New Yorkers deserve to be welcomed as our new neighbors and community members. We are fighting against misinformation that is pitting established immigrant communities against the most recent arrivals New York has been built by immigrants, and there are more than enough resources for everyone No matter how long you’ve been here, an Immigration status shouldn’t be a green light for employers to ignore fundamental worker rights and safety or for the DOC (Department of Corrections) to share people’s information with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), fulfilling city efforts to detain and deport immigrants We need to pass Int 214, Int 395, and Int 396

Immigrant communities have long suffered from a lack of access to many of the privileges and opportunities afforded to other communities This is why we must implement initiatives such as the Unemployment Bridge Program (UBP) (S3192/A4821) and the EmPIRE Act (S541B/A90120 to guarantee all workers' rights Through the EmPIRE Act, workers’ rights will be protected by deterring bad employers from stealing wages or benefits and will raise 103 million dollars in new revenue annually for the state through fines The Unemployment Bridge Program will create a permanent statewide fund to provide relief to workers who cannot access unemployment insurance when they lose work, including those who are undocumented and work in the cash economy Everyone should be covered by these safety nets, regardless of their immigration status

PUBLIC SAFETY MEANS INVESTMENTS IN LIFE-GIVING SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES.

Our children are our future, and they deserve safe communities. To make this a reality, our city, state and village’s public safety priorities must focus on crime prevention.

Investing in libraries, parks, and schools is proven to dramatically decrease crime Providing homes and basic social services creates safe neighborhoods where our families can thrive Public education is the foundation of public safety

Too often, we are forced to choose between increasing funding to police or funding for lifegiving services. We want a New York that values life over the outdated systems that mistreat and tear families apart through deportation and incarceration We want solutions that address underemployment, provide mental health services, and work to reduce gun violence. Most of all, we want solutions that invest in our neighborhoods Tax dollars are better spent on preventative measures For example, New York State spends $30,000 a year per student but $60,000 a year per prisoner

Spending more on incarceration than education is the opposite of public safety and hurts us all

In 2023, children and family services on the State level were cut by $800 million and Mayor Adams made significant cuts to 3K and PreK,K-12 programming like restorative justice programming, and CUNY. At the same time, he also made cuts to library programs, healthcare services, social homeless services, and migrant services, amounting to billions. Hard-working New Yorkers are the ones who feel the harm from these cuts, not the donors to Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams's campaigns

We urge our City and State leaders to take immediate action They should restore cuts, tax the super-wealthy to address our budget deficits and direct the revenue generated towards social services. These will ensure the health and safety of New York residents We need them to include increased funding for parks, schools, libraries, and expanded mental health services.

No New Yo be left beh state reco the public h economic c introduced worsened pandemic. we are figh create a N that works communiti New York C State lead act now!

ABOUT NYCC:

New York Communities for Change brings neighbors together to build community power. NYCC members use that power to improve their lives and their communities. We use direct action, legislative advocacy and community organizing to fight for a safe and healthy New York.

NYCC believes that all people deserve to live in safe and healthy communities. But safety is not a reality for too many New Yorkers. High rents, poor living conditions, climate change, violence, low wages, and lack of a social safety net are in the way of thriving communities. This did not happen by accident. The unsafe conditions we live in are profitable for the industries that control our State. Wall Street, Real Estate, and Oil and Gas corporations make billions by exploiting us and the planet. To win safe and healthy communities for all New Yorkers, we must attack the economic systems that protect profits over human life.

EVERYBODY’S GOT THE RIGHT TO LIVE

Everybody Got A Right To Live

Todos Tenemos El Derecho a Vivir

And Before This Campaign Fails, Los Vamos A Ganar

Everybody Got A Right To Live

Todos Tenemos El Derecho A Vivir

Everybody Got A Right To Live

Con El Pueblo A Mi Favor, Our People Will Prevail

Todos Tenemos El Derecho A Vivir

Everybody Got A Right To Live (To Live!)

Everybody Got A Right To Breathe (To Breathe!)

Everybody Got A Right To Be (To Be!)

Everybody Got A Right To See (To See!)

TODOS Quieren Respirar

TODOS Quieren Ser Feliz

TODOS Quieren Ver La Paz

TODOS Quieren Sobrevivir

Everybody Got A Right To Live (To Live!)

Everybody Got A Right To Breathe (To Breathe!)

Everybody Got A Right To Be (To Be!)

Everybody Got A Right To See (To See!)

T H E R I G H T T O L I V E A G E N D A