February 11, 2019 (Queens County, NY): Jose Nieves, who is running to become the next Queens County District Attorney, announced today that he fully supports the proposed rent strike by the residents of NYCHA buildings in Queens and other locations throughout the City. In making the announcement, Nieves indicated that he believes that NYCHA residents should be entitled to the same protections that are afforded to those who rent from private landlords.
“For far too long, we’ve allowed NYCHA to operate at standards that are simply not allowed in the private sector,” Nieves said. “Now, we need to use whatever means are necessary in order to get NYCHA to provide safe and affordable housing for all its residents.”
The Justice For All Coalition has been meeting with NYCHA residents in Queens to explain how a rent strike would work – and to solicit their support for participating in a strike sometime later this year. Sylvia White, the Chairperson of the Coalition, has indicated that the goal is not to shut NYCHA down but, rather, to get the agency to become more responsive to the needs of its tenants.
Nieves indicated that he planned to visit all 21 of NYCHA’s facilities in Queens during the course of his campaign. “I want the NYCHA residents in Queens to view the District Attorney’s Office as a member of the community – and as a place to go when they need help”, Nieves said. “We may not be able to solve all their problems ourselves but we can certainly help people find the assistance and services they need”, he said.
Nieves also called on the NYCHA’s Board to add more NYCHA residents to its membership in order to ensure that their needs are being fully understood by the Board. “Right now, there are two openings on the NYCHA Board”, Nieves said, “and I would like to see both of them filled by NYCHA residents. That’s one way to empower the people who are most impacted by the Board’s decisions”.
For more information about Jose’s blueprint for changing the Queens County DA’s Office, please visit:
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