Tenants and Neighbors, Fall 2005
Tenants and Neighbors Celebrates
Tenant Heroes
What do you do with five tenant heroes who have
distinguished themselves in the fight for tenants’ rights and affordable
housing?
You honor them, of course.
That’s exactly what was done on June 9 of this year, as
150 friends and supporters of Tenants and Neighbors gathered at a
fundraising reception.
The honorees were State Senators David Paterson and Liz
Krueger, Westchester County Legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, legal
services attorney Ed Josephson, and tenant leader
Louise Sanchez.
Senate Democratic Leader David Paterson and Sen. Krueger
were recognized for their leadership in supporting four pro-tenant
democrats for State Senate. They won
three of the four races, which many say is the beginning of a change of
leadership in the New York State Senate.
Our state senate battle that did not go the way tenants
would have liked was the one between tenant hero Andrea Stewart-Cousins and
Republican State Sen. Nick Spano. Cousins waged a fierce battle but fell
just 18 votes short, after hundreds of votes were disallowed by the courts.
Ed Josephson has been a South
Brooklyn Legal Services attorney for the past 15 years. In that time it is safe to say that he
has saved hundreds if not thousands of tenants from losing their
homes. Josephson
has recently represented tenants in several federally subsidized buildings
threatened with foreclosure.
Louise Sanchez is a legend in the subsidized housing
movement. She began her career in
activism as a high school student and made her decision to “forever be
involved in the struggle for change,” and that she has been. She has been aboard member of Tenants and
Neighbors and president of the National Alliance of HUD Tenants and is
currently the co-chair of the Mitchell Lama Residents Coalition.
The event at 1199/SEIU’s penthouse conference center was
well attended and festive. Many
elected officials, candidates for office, tenant advocates, and supporters
of the tenant movement were present to honor these tenant heroes. It was our pleasure, honor, and even duty
to say thank you to them.
</tbody>
|
