BP MARKOWITZ JOINS TIVOLI TOWERS TENANTS TO CELEBRATE MITCHELL-LAMA VICTORY

1:00 PM
MONDAY, JULY 17, 2006
CITY HALL STEPS
MANHATTAN

On Monday, July 17, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz will join Congressman Major R. Owens, State Senator Carl Andrews, City Councilwoman Letitia James, and the tenants of the Tivoli Towers apartment complex on the steps of City Hall to celebrate the Tivoli Towers Tenants Association’s (TTTA) hard-fought victory to preserve more than 300 apartments for low and moderate income Brooklyn families.

When the tenants of Tivoli Towers learned in April 2005 that their buildings would be sold to real-estate mogul Laurence Gluck of Stellar Management, who has acquired several Mitchell-Lama developments across the city and subsequently deregulated them, they got organized. With the help of Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, the law firm of Collins, Dobkins, and Miller, and support from Borough President Markowitz and other elected officials, TTTA unearthed a mandate in the building’s initial deed that requires affordability restrictions until the year 2024. Their claim was recently sustained on appeal by the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

The TTTA’s fight to preserve their Michell-Lama designation mirrors the ongoing struggle for affordable housing throughout New York City, and their victory demonstrates the effectiveness of public officials working closely with community members.