During a “virtual call” to discuss the ongoing state budget negotiations, housing activists described Governor Kathy Hochul as a “racist” who “does not like immigrants.”
Housing Justice for All, an organization that advocates for the “good cause” legislation to restrict rent increases in apartments across the state and supports a new housing access voucher program to assist the homeless and tenants who are being evicted, sponsored the strategic planning session on April 11.
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The activists asserted that Hochul, who has her own proposal to encourage the development of 800,000 affordable housing units statewide, is impeding their favorite pro-tenant initiatives.
Ritti Singh A staff member of the organization noted in an audio made available to the Post, “Governor Hochul doesn’t like [Housing Justice For All] because she doesn’t want everyone who’s included in this program to be included. That includes people who are undocumented, people with felony convictions.”
Singh expresses her claim of Gov. Hochul not being fond of immigrants, “We know Governor Hochul is like really conservative and that she really, you know, she’s racist. She does not like immigrants. She does not like people who’ve been, you know, in jail. So she’s, like, really, really been fighting against it.”
“She hates immigrants and she hates poor people, “ according to Julie Colon, a housing advocate with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. The attendee continued by stating, “And that’s like, demonstrated like through like, you know, how she has like run her career, the things that she has done.”
An audience member from the Bronx named Darryl McPherson claimed Hochul is a disappointment and compared her to disreputable former governor Andrew Cuomo.
“Kathy Hochul depended solely on the progressives to get elected,” and “she has zero consciences,” remarked.
McPherson also expressed displeasure that Hochul used funds from the Seneca Nation tribe and “gave it to her friend” Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Bills, to fund a new Bills stadium.
Representatives from VOCAL-NY, Citizen Action, the Democratic Socialists of America, and Make the Road are among the other participants.
Genesis Aquino, a new member of the Rent Guidelines Board appointed by Mayor Eric Adams, was there but did not make a statement.
The governor received criticism from both sides, with some suggesting that Hochul was too lenient toward immigrants as opposed to legal residents.
Renette Bradley, a member of Housing Justice For All, lamented the fact that immigrants were being given homes in New York City while Hochul opposed housing voucher programs for “people that are already here.”
Bradley noted her stance in the fight for immigrants housing, “They’re bringing these – they have people coming in and they’re giving them housing, and
we have people that are already here. … That’s not fair. And I’m fighting. I’m gonna fight against that.”
Charlie Dibe, a film producer and self-identified “Communist Party USA Housing” member, suggested “bombarding” Governor Hochul’s Twitter account with “nonstop “Hochul-shaming.”
Some people supported flooding the governor’s Twitter account.
Governor Kathy Hochul office informed NY Post in a statement that “Governor Hochul proposed the New York Housing Compact to create 800,000 new homes in the coming decade, has committed billions of dollars to affordable housing and rental assistance, and is actively working with the legislature on a final budget that addresses our housing crisis and meet the needs of New Yorkers.”
The protestors boasted of intimidating lawmakers into endorsing the good cause eviction proposal by threatening to demonstrate outside of their residences and defaming those who support landlords.
Renette Bradley of Housing Justice for All remarked, “Senator Andrew Gounardes. He wasn’t on Good Cause, but we ran him down and told him if he signed, we wouldn’t come to his house. So, I guess he didn’t want us there, so he signed.”
Andrew Hiller, a member of DSA, was among the participants who declared that humiliating Real Estate Board of NY president Jim Whelan was their “favorite moment.”
