Press Releases

May

2019

16

Community Groups, Housing Activists, and Electeds Call on NYC to Take Bold Action to Tackle The Housing Crisis by Supporting Community Land Trusts

Dozens of community land trust (CLT) organizers, supporters, and community members rallied this morning at City Hall, urging the NYC Council to support a new funding initiative to incubate and expand CLTs in all five NYC boroughs. The proposed initiative, championed by Council Members Donovan Richards and Carlina Rivera, comes at a critical moment, as more than a dozen CLTs are taking root in the South and Northwest Bronx, East Harlem, Brownsville, Jackson Heights, and beyond, to curb displacement and advance community-led development.

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February

2019

14

Statement on Amazon’s HQ2 Withdrawal

Amazon’s decision to withdraw its proposed headquarters from Queens is a huge win for New Yorkers and New York communities, and should mark a dramatic turning point in New York’s approach to economic development.

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February

2019

5

Statement from New York Groups on Nomination of Linda Lacewell to Lead NYS Department of Financial Services

The next DFS Superintendent must commit to taking bold action against financial companies that systematically exploit New Yorkers and extract wealth from New York communities. As the state’s chief regulator of the banking, insurance, check cashing, bail bond, and other financial industries, DFS has an obligation to advance racial, gender and economic justice. Given the Trump administration’s gutting of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and its ongoing attacks on immigrants, people of color and women, the need for a bold and resolute state financial regulator has never been clearer.

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January

2019

17

Statement by New York Groups re: Postal Banking

Our organizations support the concept of “postal banking,” as a potentially transformative form of public banking. As banks continue to redline New York neighborhoods — perpetuating poverty, inequality, and segregation — bold solutions like postal banking are clearly needed. Some recently-introduced proposals, however, would exacerbate our two-tiered financial system and promote debt as a solution to people’s financial struggles.

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December

2018

6

Retirement Un-Readiness: New Report Warns of ‘Downward Mobility’ for NY Near-Retirees

More than two of every five middle class New Yorkers in their 50s are headed for poverty or near-poverty in retirement. Typical workers in the bottom 90 percent of earnings will need almost a third more income in retirement to maintain their standard of living. And fewer workers of color have access to workplace retirement savings option than whites – escalating their potential for experiencing ‘downward mobility.’

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November

2018

28

Environmental & Community Groups Call on NYC to Divest from Banks that Fuel Climate Change and Establish a Public Bank

As global leaders assemble for the United Nations-backed 4th Annual Climate Finance Day, New Yorkers, including representatives of environmental, community and student groups, rallied at City Hall and called on NYC to divest public money from banks that fuel climate change and to establish a municipal public bank to help fund the transition to a just, sustainable economy.

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July

2018

18

Communities Announce New York Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice March September 6

New York, NY — Today, leading New York organizations announced the New York Rise for Climate, Jobs, and Justice march on September 6 around the Global Climate Action Summit. At the Summit, state and local officials are expected to gather in San Francisco to make commitments and fill the void of climate leadership from the Trump administration. New Yorkers are urging Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio and elected officials at all levels to take bold and immediate action on climate change, create hundreds of thousands of good green jobs, and fight for justice for all New Yorkers.

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