State Assembly 65 Denny Salas

Website: dennysalas.com

Social media: @realdennysalas @realdennysalas

What type of housing do you currently live in?
Unregulated Rental Apt
Are you, or have you ever been, a landlord?
No
1. If yes, where & how many apts. do/did you own?
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
1. If so, how can we be assured you will have tenants’ interests in mind? (250 characters)
  Because I grew up poor, collecting cans for money on the street with my family. And when my siblings and I reached school age, my parents had to lie about our address so we could attend a better school in a neighboring town. Housing matters.

Values and Vision

Do you believe housing is a human right?
Yes
- If so, what does that mean to you? (500 characters)
  Please see my previous response, but I’ll add that it’s not just housing; it’s the ability to climb the socioeconomic ladder, which only comes when you have affordable housing in high-opportunity areas. Working-class New Yorkers should have access to housing where good schools and good transit are located and shouldn’t be at risk for eviction.
What type of action have you taken in the past around issues of housing justice? (500 characters)
I was a lead figure in the NoHo/SoHo rezoning passing. I wrote OpEds, testified at several meetings, and ran for City Council on this issue. The only candidate in that race out of nine who supported the politically unpopular rezoning where it later passed, and now a family of three making no more than $42,000 will get to live there.
What do you think are the most pressing Housing issues & what action would you take to address them as a state representative? (1000 characters)
We need to build more housing, fund community land trusts, offer homeownership opportunities for working/middle-class New Yorkers (a new Mitchell-Lama), and offer tax credits to decouple affordable housing from AMI.
Have you or anyone close to you (relation, 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 de-commodified?
Yes
- Please explain your answer (500 characters)
  Ideally, yes. It’s not now, so we have to fight to make it that way. That said, we should be making it easier for working-class folks to gain equity and wealth by owning their own homes.
- Your google form states that this response has to be at least 500 characters long, but what I stated above rings true: Working-class New Yorkers should be able to attain homeownership to build wealth.
- Ideally, yes. It’s not now, so we have to fight to make it that way. That said, we should be making it easier for working-class folks to gain equity and wealth by owning their own homes.
- Your google form states that this response has to be at least 500 characters long, but what I stated above rings true: Working-class New Yorkers should be able to attain homeownership to build wealth.
Do you believe in publicly owned and controlled housing?
Yes
What is one rent and/or eviction protection you would enact if you had the opportunity? (500 characters)
Good Cause Eviction
Do you agree that all evictions are bad?
No
- If no, why not? (500 characters)
  There are abusive tenants who destroy property and affect the lives of children and families who are good and decent. They don’t deserve that type of disturbance in their life.
Do you support the concept of universal rent control?
No

Overview on Housing

Do you support the NYCHA 2.0 Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and other privatization schemes?
No
1. Please explain why or why not (250 characters)
  Conversions have led to a rise in evictions, and many shouldn’t be left homeless.
NYCHA has suffered from chronic underfunding, neglect, and disrepair. What do you see as the best strategies to rectify these problems? (500 characters)
We need to pass a bill requiring NYCHA to release a quarterly report – much like when you invest in stock – showing how much money is going into NYCHA, how much is going out, and where the money is being spent. We have a lack of transparency that seriously undermines the credibility of NYCHA.
Do you support setting aside 15% of all units created in new state-subsidized affordable housing projects for homeless families and individuals?
Yes
How would you use your office to put pressure on landlords to make repairs and stop harassing tenants? (500 characters)
Tax Credits.
Do you support regulating the 300,000 deregulated rent-stabilized apartments?
Yes
Will you support increased funding and oversight hearings of DHCR’s Office of Rent Administration to ensure timely responses?
Yes
How will you ensure people who owe back rent due to COVID are not evicted and do not continue to owe money? (500 characters)
We need to fully fund ERAP and open it up for NYCHA residents, too.
Would you support financial and criminal penalties against landlords and brokers that deny a prospective tenant housing based on using a tenant blacklist?
Yes

Current Bills and Campaigns

Do you support Good Cause Eviction Protections?
Yes
If Good Cause is not passed this session, what will you do to ensure it gets passed in 2023? (500 characters)
I’ll work very hard to ensure it passes and leverage unions and other relationships to get it passed.
Will you support ending MCIs?
Yes
Will you commit to fully funding the Housing Access Voucher Program?
Yes
Do you support the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)?
Yes
How will you support tenants in your district opting into TOPA? (500 characters)
By funding community land trusts.
Do you support the move to legalize basement apartments and ADUs?
Yes
Do you support tenants’ right to collective bargaining?
Yes
Do you support 421a or Gov Hochul’s proposed 485w?
Yes
Do you support fully funding the Excluded Workers fund?
Yes
Do you support the “Excluded No More” bill?
Yes
Are you committed to making sure every tenant in the state has free access to counsel in Housing Court?
Yes
Will you commit to fully funding statewide Right to Counsel in 2023’s budget?
Yes