Sen. Perkins will help pass Stewart-Cousins bill

At a meeting with tenant leaders from several of the current and former Mitchell-Lamas in his district, State Senator Bill Perkins promised to help get the proposed Stewart-Cousins bill passed.

That bill - soon to be introduced by State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins - would put all buildings leaving Mitchell-Lama (and Section 8 projects) into rent stabilization

• without "unique or peculiar circumstances" increases
• without regard to the year the building was constructed
• whether before or after the bill becomes law.

Sen. Perkins agreed to co-sponsor the bill, and said he would speak with Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and with Senate Housing Committee Chairman Pedro Espada to promote the bill. He was optimistic that the bill would be passed this year with a lot of hard work from tenants.

As we handed him the letters from our building and the others, he remarked, "That's quite a pile!"