The Senator expressed his strong support for affordable housing at the annual Mitchell Lama Residents Coalition Breakfast, held in Harlem's famed Alhambra Ballroom.
"This is one of the most successful government housing programs ever designed," said the Senator. "In the current housing crisis, it is our obligation to build on this model, and now work toward a program of permanent and sustainable affordability."
He continued: "My staff and I engage with Mitchell Lamas throughout the 28th District, making sure that landlords follow the letter and spirit of the law, and that tenants are comprehensively protected, especially when buildings are privatized."
In Albany, the Senator has supported and co-sponsored a wide range of affordable housing legislation, including efforts to establish rent stabilization following Mitchell Lama opt-outs, as well returning control of rent and eviction laws back to the New York City government.
An estimated 70,000 New Yorkers reside in Mitchell Lama complexes. The program is one of the fundamental components of the city's affordable housing stock, and has proven instrumental in the revitalization of communities.
"Mitchell Lama has succeeded in not just developing communities, but preserving them as well," said the Senator. "Residents are blessed to raise their children in a close-knit environment of neighbors and friends, an environment that has transcended the divisions of age, race and class."
