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Dec 1, 2022

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Keith Powers and 9 others

15h

Here's one of the more bizarre arguments we've heard. The reality: our mass policing, arrest, & incarceration policies have disproportionately targeted communities of color, without actually making us safer. #FairChanceForHousing will protect our neighbors from discrimination.

False: If landlords can't use background checks, they will default to racial profiling, and this will end up hurting more Black & brown New Yorkers.

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Facts: What?! It is NOT okay for landlords to say that they will assume that Black and brown people have convictions unless they can prove otherwise with a background check. That’s racist!
Not everyone assumes that every Black and brown New Yorker has a conviction by default.
Race-based discrimination is already illegal in NYC, and can be reported to the Commission on Human Rights; conviction-based discrimination, however, is still allowed under the current law.

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Jan 25

Today,

@WhiteHouse

announced new actions to protect renters–this is thanks to organizing from #HomesGuarantee tenant leaders, including CVH members who went to DC w/

@PplsAction

. It's a solid start, but we still need rent regulations & tenant protections. whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/

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Jul 20, 2022

This morning, CVH member Margareth is in DC at the Dept of Housing and Urban Development to share her experience as a long-time NYCHA resident & tenant leader. Everyone should have safe, accessible, sustainable, & permanently affordable housing! @PplsAction #HomesGuarantee

A photograph of Margareth smiling outside the Department of Housing and Urban Development – a large, beige building with many windows. Her white t-shirt says "The rent is too damn high #HomesGuarantee" in big, black, and capital letters.

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A photograph of Margareth smiling with two other people next to her and one behind her in front of the Department of Housing and Urban Development building. They all wear matching white t-shirts that say "The rent is too damn high #HomesGuarantee" in big, black, and capital letters.

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Jessica Ramos and 9 others

ALIGN

@ALIGNny

Jan 25

BIG: #RaiseUpNY is rallying in Albany to demand a stronger #MinimumWage! We are living through the worst cost-of-living crisis in 40 years. We deserve our fair share, and we desperately need it. Watch #RaiseUpNY LIVE: fb.watch/ih8919TWWd/

Jan 25

Tomorrow! Join us in Westchester for our first #FollowBlackWomen Vision Tour Session! Each attendee will receive supplies to make a vision board & a thoughtfully-curated swag bag. Free with RSVP: bit.ly/fbw-vision

Follow Black Women Vision Tour. A gathering of Women to vision board a policy agenda for 2023 in community. Westchester: 1/26, 6-8:30pm, NYC: 1/28, 1-4pm, Buffalo: 2/11, 1-4pm, Albany: 2/17, 6-8:30pm. Free with RSVP: bit.ly/fbw-vision. Light appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages will be served.

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Jan 24

ENGLISH: Join your neighbors and members of CVH Beacon for a watch party and discussion of Segregated By Design, the impacts of housing segregation on Beacon and how we're organizing to win housing justice locally and statewide! 🎥✊🏾 RSVP: bit.ly/seg-design23

Jan 24

ESPAÑOL: ¡Únase a sus vecinos y miembros de CVH Beacon para ver y discutir sobre Segregados por Diseño, los impactos de la segregación de viviendas en Beacon y cómo nos estamos organizando para ganar justicia de vivienda a nivel local y estatal! 🎥✊🏾 RSVP: bit.ly/seg-design23

Keith Powers and 9 others

Jan 24

Setting the record straight: We are not safer when people are unhoused. Nearly half of all children in the US have at least one parent with a record; the #FairChanceForHousing Act will help families.

False: This threatens the safety of our children and seniors.

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Facts: We are not safer when people are unhoused.
Nearly half of all children in the US have at least one parent with a record; background screenings puts many NYC children at risk for homelessness.
Many of our seniors have convictions themselves; as the number of people aging in prison soars, more elderly people will come home with convictions and need a place to live safely.

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As Thousands Fall Behind on Rent, Public Housing Faces ‘Disaster’

Jan 23

"NYCHA residents still applied for at least $130 million worth of aid — but they received none."

@NYCHA

residents need rent relief, just like private tenants. Safe and affordable housing should be a human right.

@NYTMetro

@mihirzaveri

nytimes.com

The New York City Housing Authority collected just 65 percent of the rent it charged in the 12 months leading up to December, the lowest percentage in the agency’s history.

Seven-month gas outage hits Harlem public housing tenants

Jan 20

Outrageous. A seven-month gas outage at Harlem's Grant Houses. One of 60 NYCHA campuses affected by gas outages on Thursday.

@NYCHA

residents deserve better.

@DavidFBrand

@Gothamist

gothamist.com

Tenants in one building at the Grant Houses won’t be cooking on their stoves until July 31.

Jan 20

Updated flyer for Jordan Taylor, a former CVH organizer and law student, last seen on Jan 6. If you have information, contact: ➡️ Jordan's brother Al Taylor: 845-596-7350 or altaylor1991@gmail.com ➡️ NYPD Missing Persons Unit: 212-694-7781 #HelpUsFindUs #MissingPerson

Jan 19

Join us as we build a vision for a Black Women's Agenda across New York State! Our #FollowBlackWomen Project is launching vision board sessions – come build a community of sisterhood with other women who want to create a more equitable New York. RSVP: bit.ly/fbw-vision

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4400 evictions in the past year. 78k New Yorkers homeless. And

’s housing plan does nothing to keep New Yorkers in their homes. We need #GoodCause and rental assistance NOW: hj4a.org/takeaction

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David Brand

@DavidFBrand

Evictions are on the rise in NYC: Nearly 4,400 households have been kicked out of their apartments since a freeze on most evictions expired last January This is happening as NYC’s homelessness crisis surpasses record levels My story for @Gothamist gothamist.com/news/nyc-evict

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Farah N. Louis and 9 others

Jan 19

Setting the record straight: The #FairChanceForHousing Act will help end discrimination. Landlords still have other forms of tenant screening options, including references, income verification, & prior rental history. Housing discrimination is not a part of a person's sentence.

False: This takes away landlords' rights to screen their tenants.

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Facts: Removing a discriminatory practice does not infringe on landlords’ rights. NYC law currently prohibits discrimination in housing based on actual or perceived: age, race, color, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, creed, national origin, citizenship status, family status, marital status, partnership status, lawful source of income, and lawful occupation. None of these things take away landlords' rights!
"People are denied rental housing because negative information is reported that belongs to someone else; outdated information remains on reports; and inaccurate or misleading details about arrests, criminal records, and eviction records are not corrected nor removed from reports." -Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report

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We support the

who are following the spirit of Dr. King and speaking out for #HealthEquity! They deliver care to ALL New Yorkers, and it's time to give them the support they need. #HealthcareNYDeserves

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NYSNA

@nynurses

NYSNA members play a leading role in undoing disparities in our healthcare system. Join us today, 11:30am as @NYCHealthSystem nurses honor Dr. King's fight for healthcare justice & speak out for the most vulnerable patients & demand a fair contract that delivers health equity.

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WE ARE NURSES & We Demand Health Equity. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the ongoing struggle for civil rights and healthcare justice, NYSNA New York City Health and Hospitals (H+H)/Mayorals nurses are marching on H+H headquarters to demand that nurses, patients and the communities are treated better.

NYC H+H/Mayorals nurses care for New York City’s most vulnerable patients. They are essential, yet they are understaffed, under-resourced and underpaid. They are rising up to demand a fair contract with pay equity for nurses and health equity for their patients and communities. Join the speak-out and march on Jan. 18 at 11:30 a.m., 55 Water Street, Manhattan.

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Jordan Taylor is a former CVH organizer in Poughkeepsie and continues to organize in the Hudson Valley area. He is currently living in Queens, and has been missing since January 6. Please share.

Jan 17

Last weekend, our staff and board gathered to plan for 2023! We've got some exciting things coming up, and we can't wait to work with our members to make it all happen. Interested in getting involved in our work to build a more equitable NY State? Visit cvhaction.org/get-involved!

A group of 23 CVH staff and board members smile at the camera in a room with two whiteboards on the right wall and three windows on the back wall.

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Keith Powers and 9 others

Jan 17

We've heard too many myths and misconceptions about people with convictions and what the #FairChanceForHousing Act would mean for New Yorkers. Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing some facts to set the record straight. TLDR: Housing for everyone makes everyone safer.

False: Law-abiding citizens shouldn't be forced to live next to dangerous people.

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Facts:
Housing for everyone makes everyone safer.
A conviction record ≠ a dangerous person.
When we bar people from housing, they don’t disappear – they are forced into unstable conditions, which doesn’t make any of us safer.
"Private housing providers should consider not using criminal history to screen tenants for housing. Criminal history is not a good predictor of housing success." -U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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Jan 16

As CVH continues to fight for racial and housing justice alongside members and tenants, we not only celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s role as a leader during the #CivilRightsMovement, but his involvement in the fight for #FairHousing. The fight continues. ✊🏿

Jan 13

Meet Ann Valdez! She has been a CVH member in Brooklyn, NY since November 2002. 📣✨ Are you a working class New Yorker affected by one of the issues we work on? Become a CVH member! Visit: cvhaction.org/become-a-member

Jan 12

#OurHomesOurPower ✊🏿

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Jan 12

Looks like @GovKathyHochul might have forgotten a few things in her housing plan this week: namely, any real protections for tenants or homeless New Yorkers. We’re here to remind her. This is what working families really want from Albany this year to solve the housing crisis.

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Invest In Our New York Campaign

"Now is the time to invest in New York families. We support the Invest in Our New York package calling for deep investments in healthcare, childcare, education, climate, quality jobs, and housing," said Executive Director

@juanita_lewis81

#InvestInOurNY

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@InvestinOurNY

Following the Governor's State of the State speech, the #InvestInOurNY campaign released the following statement: mailchi.mp/5838b6a2f5e4/r

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What a real housing plan does: ☑️Slows rent increases ☑️Strengthens tenants rights ☑️Prioritizes housing for homeless NYers #HochulsHousingHoax does none of the above, but it DOES benefit her wealthy real estate donors. 📣

“LET US IN!”

LITERALLY evicted tenants and homeless New Yorkers from her #SOTS2023 and is refusing to support ANY real tenant protections like #GoodCause. We’re here to tell her: you work for us, not for big real estate!

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The housing justice movement can’t be stopped!

needs to support working class NYers, not her donors. #OurHomesOurPower

Tenants and homeless New Yorkers are here in Albany with REAL solutions to the housing crisis like #GoodCause and #HAVP. But

locked us out – she only wants to hear from her real estate donors. Tell her we need real solutions NOW. hj4a.org/TakeAction

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Ahead of the #StateOfTheState today, we're calling on

Invest In Our New York Campaign and 5 others

to fight for every NYer by making millionaires, billionaires, & wealthy corporations pay what they owe. We need to #InvestInOurNY – invest in healthcare, childcare, education, climate, quality jobs, & housing.

Pass the Invest In Our New York Act! What we want from the state of the state: Prioritize working families by ensuring workers' paychecks keep up with rising costs. Make safe, decent living conditions affordable and accessible for all. Lower the costs of energy bills while transitioning to safer renewable resources.

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Jan 9

80% of New Yorkers statewide support raising the state’s #MinimumWage to over $20 by 2026.

New York Voters Across the State Demand a Higher Minimum Wage

must act now & back the #RaiseTheWage Act ahead of the State of the State. New York can't afford to keep the minimum wage #FrozenAt15.

dataforprogress.org

Eighty percent of likely N.Y. voters support a proposed law to gradually raise the state's minimum wage over the next three years.

Join the fight for the Our Homes, Our Power Platform | Housing Justice for All

Jan 8

Our campaign, #OurHomesOurPower shifts the balance of power between tenants and landlords, transforming our profit-driven housing system towards social housing. Join us on Jan 10 in Albany hj4.org/Jan10, and if you can’t make it, write your rep!

housingjusticeforall.org

Join the fight for housing justice. Housing is a basic human right, but too many New Yorkers today can’t afford a roof over their head. Real estate lobbyists and big corporate landlords have rigged...

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NYC's Fair Chance for Housing Act | The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC

Jan 4

"Housing plays a very critical role in public safety. It plays a critical role in long-term opportunities in this city."

@KeithPowersNYC

talks about #FairChanceForHousing on

@BrianLehrer

@WNYC

wnyc.org

Council Member Keith Powers on the bill to ban landlords from running criminal backgrounds on prospective tenants.

Jan 1

Happy New Year! We can't wait to fight for housing justice, equitable development & economic justice, participatory democracy, and launch our Follow Black Women agenda this year!

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Dec 23, 2022

Thank you to

@SenSchumer

for providing support for training and self-advocacy for low-income families in NYCHA public housing in the omnibus spending package!

Imagine: What if our needs were met? What if we weren’t alone to deal with it all?

Dec 22, 2022

"We knew we couldn’t solve that problem on our own, so we turned to other organizers at Community Voices Heard. Our voices told the empowered, 'It doesn’t have to be this way. Housing is a human right.'" By CVH member

@arthurcamins

@dailykos

dailykos.com

Step back from the day-to-day slog to meet your pressing needs. Put aside the daily onslaught of depressing bad news. Take a deep breath to take five away from the insecurity of its all. Imagine what...

Dec 22, 2022

@NYCMayor

’s 500k units could be 33 new co-op cities - or just more luxury development and gentrification. Where’s the actual plan to give low-income, Black and POC NYers affordable homeownership opportunities? 🤔 #RightToARoof

Dec 21, 2022

@NYCMayor

’s new housing plan is all count and no action on #affordability. Vulnerable New Yorkers want #RightToARoof, not luxury developments for gentrifiers. 📣 Learn more about the Right to a Roof Coalition here: righttoaroof.org

Dec 20, 2022

Happy holidays from all of us at Community Voices Heard! We're taking the next few weeks to relax and reflect, and we can't wait to come back in January ready to organize and win campaigns for a more equitable New York State.

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Dec 20, 2022

Our statement:

For a plain text version, please visit https://www.cvhaction.org/cvhnews/2022/12/18/statement-community-voices-heard-responds-to-poughkeepsie-common-council-budget

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Dec 20, 2022

Tonight, the Poughkeepsie Common Council released their budget for 2023. While it does not do as much to protect Poughkeepsie’s tenants as it could, it’s a step in the right direction. Our full statement: cvhaction.org/cvhnews/2022/1

Three people face the camera and hold signs that say "Eviction = violence," "We need rent relief now," and "Tenants are voters."

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Dec 19, 2022

It has been an incredible year at Community Voices Heard and Community Voices Heard Power. After working remotely for over two years due to the pandemic, we were eager to get back to building our bases and campaigns. Read our annual report now: cvhaction.org/annual-report-

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A letter from our Executive Director. Visit cvhaction.org/annual-report-2022 for the plain text version.

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