Website: patrickfornewyork.com
Social media: @patrickfornyc @patrickfornyc
- What type of housing do you currently live in?
Unregulated Rental Apt - Are you, or have you ever been, a landlord?
No- If yes, where & how many apts. do/did you own?
- 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- If so, how can we be assured you will have tenants’ interests in mind? (250 characters)
- If so, how can we be assured you will have tenants’ interests in mind? (250 characters)
Values and Vision
- Do you believe housing is a human right?
Yes- If so, what does that mean to you? (500 characters)
It means, ultimately, we should aim to de-commodify housing (as well as healthcare and education) as it requires cost controls or indexes to ensure that no working person struggles to afford to have their basic needs met.
- If so, what does that mean to you? (500 characters)
- What type of action have you taken in the past around issues of housing justice? (500 characters)
I have marched with advocates at many events and helped to host an event for youth experiencing homelessness outside Gracie Mansion. - What do you think are the most pressing Housing issues & what action would you take to address them as a state representative? (1000 characters)
– Youth homelessness - – Evictions
- – Affordability
- – Funding NYCHA capital costs
- I would start by dedicating funding toward housing for youth homelessness and ensuring there were dedicated beds and outreach staff. For evictions, I would advocate and organize to bring back the eviction moratorium as costs skyrocket and inflation increases. For affordability, I would draft legislation dedicated indexing our minimum wage to our average housing costs. To fund NYCHA capital costs, I would support an earmarking of a pied-a-terre tax that would be a dedicated revenue stream to keep NYCHA livable and safe.
- 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)
I’m happy to see this as a question. I’m a socialist and I believe that in a sustainable economy, we shouldn’t be trying to commodify the elements of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs until all have their basic needs met. All of the constituent concerns we see around crime and quality of life can be tied to whether or not the people in a community have their basic needs met. When they don’t, that’s when we see a rise in so-called “crimes of poverty” and when people feel insecure in their neighborhoods. If those concerns are sincere, housing can solve concerns about crime, concerns around mental health, and concerns around the quality of life in a community.
- Please explain your answer (500 characters)
- 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)
I support Good Cause Eviction laws but I don’t feel they go far enough. As I’ve stated in this form, I want to decommodify housing. All evictions are violence and allowing a well-funded landlord to evict anyone is to subject them to unnecessary suffering. - Do you agree that all evictions are bad?
Yes- If no, why not? (500 characters)
- If no, why not? (500 characters)
- Do you support the concept of universal rent control?
Yes
Overview on Housing
- Do you support the NYCHA 2.0 Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and other privatization schemes?
No- Please explain why or why not (250 characters)
Projects like the 2.0 RAD plan allow for the chipping away of the “public” in public housing. Public-private partnerships introduce commodification into what should remain a public good.
- Please explain why or why not (250 characters)
- NYCHA has suffered from chronic underfunding, neglect, and disrepair. What do you see as the best strategies to rectify these problems? (500 characters)
I believe that dedicated revenue streams, including a pied-a-terre tax, estate tax, and wealth tax, with funding streams set to expire after a certain period of dormancy would inspire NYCHA to use the funds offered in a timely manner. An additional caveat demanding, with the creation of those revenue streams, that NYCHA had to make the repairs or else face penalties, could inspire quick action. - 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)
I would happily call landlords myself. I don’t believe that sending people through a network of intermediaries and state/local services’ phone centers is a kind way to treat people in need. - 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)
An eviction moratorium and a dedication of revenue from ERAP to go to landlords on behalf of tenants. - 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)
Passing legislation requires two things: dedicated organzing, and dedicated work with the leadership. I aim to work with Speaker Heastie on his legislation fighting vacancy decontrol in order to get him to work to ensure Good Cause Evictions are 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)
I will dedicate staff hours to walking them through the process of application and purchase. - 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?
No - 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