We just got arrested for demanding a real housing package that protects immigrant and working class New Yorkers.
We are nine days into the new fiscal year and there is no new budget in sight. Working class New Yorkers are hurting under the staggering burden of rents that keep going up and cuts to the services that we rely on. And so today, alongside other community leaders from across the state, we blocked Governor Hochul’s office. We are demanding that the legislature and the governor deliver a final budget that prioritizes the needs of all New Yorkers, not only the ultra-wealthy.
Rather than raise taxes on the richest, Governor Hochul is proposing an eviction bonus for landlords—weakening rent stabilization laws that will transfer billions of dollars to pad real estate’s pockets. She is also proposing a tax exemption for luxury homes, while refusing to invest in services like rental assistance vouchers or money for public housing. All New Yorkers deserve safe and affordable housing. And the New York State budget must deliver real solutions to address our housing crisis.
This is a critical moment for our state. That’s why we decided to put our bodies on the line—because our students are worthy of a well-funded education, our communities need permanent and affordable homes, our families should have access to high-quality healthcare, and all of us deserve the freedom to stay and the freedom to thrive in New York.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
¡Pa’lante!
–– Jose Lopez, Co-Executive Director, and Jennifer Hernandez, Housing Justice Lead Organizer