THE COUNCIL OF

THE CITY OF NEW YORK

April 27, 2016

Senator Bernie Sanders

Bernie 2016
131 Church Street
Suite 300
Burlington, VT 05401
Dear Senator Sanders,
On behalf of our coalition of public housing resident leaders, advocates, community-based
organizations and elected officials, we write to sincerely thank you for answering our call to tour
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) public housing developments as a part of your
campaign in New Yorks Presidential primary, and to strengthen your commitment to address
pressing issues of affordable and public housing facing low-income families across the United
States.
Your visits to Howard Houses in Brownsville (along with Council Members Torres and Williams,
and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams) and the Twin Parks West development in the
Bronx helped bring national attention to the crisis facing NYCHA, including its $17 billion
capital budget gap. More than that, you helped call attention to the affordable housing crisis
facing tens of millions of Americans stuck in decrepit and unhealthy homes, spending more than
half their income in rent, facing displacement from gentrification, and living in constant fear
and far too often the reality of eviction and homelessness.
We also greatly appreciate the ways in which you reiterated and strengthened your commitment
to address affordable housing issues while you were in New York, through your remarks at both
developments, your Op-Ed in the New York Daily News, and your new Fighting for Affordable
Housing platform. Your proposals to expand the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund,
provide full funding for rental assistance, push for permanent affordability in affordable housing
programs, and support fair housing would go a long way to addressing Federal disinvestment.
And we are deeply grateful for your newly articulated commitment to fight for increased funding
for public housing.
In addition to expressing our gratitude, we respectfully ask that representatives of your campaign
meet with members of our coalition including resident leaders from affordable and public
housing throughout the nation to discuss the inclusion of affordable housing issues in the 2016
Democratic Party Platform to be adopted at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
To arrange this meeting, we ask that your staff co-contact Mo George, NYC Chapter Director of
Organizing at CVH Power (212-860-6001, mo@CVHpower.org) and Luisa Benedetto, Chief of
Staff in Council Member Ritchie Torres office (646-210-2558, LBenedetto@council.nyc.gov).

Your visits to Howard Houses and Twin Parks West were warmly celebrated by their residents
and were a meaningful step toward addressing the crisis of affordable housing facing millions of
Americans.
Thank you again for your leadership on this and so many other issues, for your dedication, and
your service to our country and best wishes for strength and sustenance in the days ahead.
Sincerely,
New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres
Deputy Leader; Chair, Committee on Public Housing
New York City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams
Deputy Leader; Chair, Committee on Housing and Buildings
New York City Council Member Brad Lander
Deputy Leader for Policy; Chair, Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections
National Low Income Housing Coalition
Community Service Society
Community Voices Heard (CVH) Power
Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE)
Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES)
The Legal Aid Society