danteforny.vote
www.instagram.com/nypublicservant/
@danteforny.bsky.social
What type of housing do you live in? Unregulated rental apartment
Are you now, or have you ever been a landlord? No
If yes, how many units and briefly describe what your experience has been.
Does your campaign accept contributions from real estate developers (including related individuals), corporate lobbyists, organizations that participate in the carceral system, and/or landlords? No
Have you ever worked in, or had another affiliation with, the Real Estate industry? No
Have any of your campaign or advisory staff held a position as a corporate lobbyist or an executive role with the Real Estate industry? No
If so, how can we be assured you will have tenants’ interests in mind?
Do you believe housing is a human right? No
If so, what does that mean to you, and if not, why not? I believe the phrase “Housing is a Human Right” is a political promise and language that cannot be 100% fulfilled. I believe we need better negotiators at the table. The City of New York needs to build homeownership opportunities for families. HPD needs more funding to finance more new construction and preservation projects. HPD’s Open Door program funds the new construction of cooperative and condominium buildings affordable to moderate and middle income households. We need to increase funding to the Open Door program and expand funding for SARA.
What actions have you taken in the past to fight for housing justice? A single mother of four kids showed up to my office looking for housing assistance. She explained to me she was living in a DV shelter and she was not receiving sufficient representation from the shelter housing coordinator. She further explained she was selected for an apartment to transition into once HPD completed its inspection. From start to finish, her process took nearly nine months. I reached out to her case manager and HPD to get both parties on the same page. After getting all parties aligned, HPD inspected the apartment within two days and she was able to go view the apartment by the end of the month. Constituent services is how I fight for housing justice.
What are the most pressing housing issues, and what would you do as an elected official to address them? The homeownership rate in New York City is 30%—well below the nationwide average of 66%. – More funding for HPD Open Door Program
Know Your Rights & Right to Counsel – We nee to expand these programs for tenants and homeowners. Some tenants get taken advantage of by some greedy and negligent landlords. Deed theft is a real issue in communities of color and underserved communities. Some homeowners, many of whom are older adults on fixed incomes, in District 41 may be unaware of predatory practices to steal their homes. They deserve counsel as well.
Have you or anyone close to you (family, friend, etc) been evicted or been threatened with eviction? Yes
Have you ever had to fight a landlord for repairs or faced harassment? Yes
Do you believe that housing should be decommodified (publicly owned and tenant-controlled)?
No
Please explain your answer. As a government employee, I often see the gaps in services from our agencies stem from political divide. Funding from HUD for housing subsidies is “publicly” owned and controlled. The unfortunateness of full public control is when you are in the minority, your seat at the table is minimized.
What is one rent and/or eviction protection you would enact if you had the opportunity?
Do you agree that all evictions are violent? No
Why or why not? There are terrible landlords as we know form the list from the Public Advocates Office every year. But, there are bad tenants. I believe in fairness for tenants and landlords. Not every landlord is a big giant. There are seniors who may live alone who could easily be landlords too. The issue is our living is very transactional. Many tenants hardly see their landlords and may not even have direct contact to the owner. The lack of communication sometimes between landlord and tenant is simply the issue.
Do you support the concept of universal rent control? Yes
For decades the Rent Guidelines Board has fueled the affordability crisis it was created to address. Most NYC tenants are rent-burdened, and hundreds of thousands of families, primarily Black and brown, are forced to deprive themselves of necessities to keep a roof over their heads, while owners’ profits hover near the 40% mark. Do you support freezing or even rolling back rents given these circumstances?
Yes
Do you support proposals to revise the RGB to make it more responsive to the needs of the tenants it was created to protect? Yes
Why or why not? Yes, I believe giving City Council confirmation powers over RGB appointments localizes how the Board will look at housing and rent regulations. Additionally, it would give the Council leverage to ensure RBG members align with the vision of the Council, rather than the Mayor.
Do you support the NYCHA 2.0 Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and other privatization schemes? No
Please explain why or why not: There are hardly protections once something is privatized. Since its ratification at some developments, the has been complaints about poor conditions, increased evictions, and a lack of clarity around the repairs process. Outsourcing the issue will not address it longterm.
NYCHA has suffered from chronic underfunding, neglect, and disrepair. What do you see as the best strategies to rectify these problems?
Fund the revitalization of NYCHA. We know NYCHA needs upwards 78 billion dollars in repairs. Create a 10 year plan by setting aside $10B each year from FY27 to FY37. In 10 years, there will be $100B and the restoration of federal funds.
How would you use your office to put pressure on landlords to make repairs and stop harassing tenants?
I will work in coalition with other elected officials, residents, and tenant organizations to ensure all landlords are held to their legal responsibilities.
Do you support regulating the 300,000 deregulated rent-stabilized apartments? Yes
Do you support significant expansion of HPD’s emergency repair program, including adequate funding, with the city correcting hazardous violations when the landlord doesn’t act promptly, then bills the landlord for the repairs and takes title to the building if the landlord doesn’t pay, keeping it as social housing? Yes
Why or why not? Hazardous conditions can be created without humans. I believe if the law allows for a landlord to cure a violation, the landlord should be able to address the issue without penalty. But, if the landlord chooses not to take the opportunity to save money by doing the right thing, the City will most certainly bill the owner which I support. It’s about fairness.
Do you support stronger penalties against landlords that practice source of income discrimination? No
Despite the city’s commitment to a right to counsel for low income families facing eviction in housing court, currently fewer than half of eligible tenants are getting lawyers. Meanwhile, landlords have pressed the courts to speed up the eviction process so they can take advantage of record high rents, negating efforts to reduce homelessness. Do you support fully funded right to counsel and slowing down the housing court eviction mill?
Yes
What other ideas do you have to address the housing crisis, and what is your strategy for accomplishing them?
Continued enforcement of LL18 to protect our neighborhoods.
Hold KNOW YOUR RIGHTS forums and community events with tenant rights advocates and organizations.
Advocate for initiatives focused on creating homeownership opportunities for all families.
Demand all housing developed on city-owned lots be targeted to seniors, low and extremely low-income households, individuals with disabilities, and formerly incarcerated.
Advocate to our Members of Congress to change the AMI (Area Median Income) formula used to determine affordability.
Fight to bring warehoused apartments online to increase housing stock.