Schumer, Lander Join Park Slope Tenants Protesting Evictions

PARK SLOPE, NY — In front of a beautiful prewar building facing Prospect Park, dozens of protesters chanted, “Housing is a human right! Fight, fight, fight!”

“The big reason we’re here today is because some people, Greenbook, disagree with that,” a man said into a megaphone. “Some people, Greenbook, think that profits are their human right.”

The “Greenbook” in question is Greenbook Partners, a private equity-backed firm that bought the 70 Prospect Park West building and at least 50 others in Brooklyn, and then moved to move tenants out of their home in order to dramatically increase rents. On Friday morning, residents of Greenbook-owned buildings joined tenant rights activists, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Councilmember Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and others to protest the evictions in front of 70 Prospect Park West.

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT! HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT! pic.twitter.com/T1vSeNghee
— Fifth Ave Committee (@FACbrooklyn) October 15, 2021

The crowd called on the Texas Permanent School Fund, which is controlled by the Texas State Board of Education, to withdraw a $100 million investment in NW1/Greenbook Partners. They are also rallying in support of the ‘Good Cause Eviction’ Bill (S2892), a pending state bill that would forbid evictions of tenants who can’t pay a rent that has increased more than three percent of the annual rent, or 150 percent of the region’s Consumer Price Index, whichever is higher.

In March, Greenbook informed the tenants of 70 Prospect Park West that it would not renew their leases, with the exception of 10 rent-stabilized units. Residents have told Patch and other outlets that to drive rent-stabilized tenants out, the company performs noisy and disruptive construction throughout the day in an attempt to drive them out. Once they leave, the company rents the unit for almost double the original rate. Greenbook has pursued similar tactics against businesses, including suing a Park Slope spa owner for $300,000 in unpaid rent after she closed her business during the pandemic.

"The market-rate tenants are low-hanging fruit — if they push us out then the goal is making life hard for rent-stabilized units," resident Anh-thu Nguyen, who spoke at Friday’s rally, told Patch in May. "It's very clear this is a landlord that is out to push out anyone."

"When you lose your home, you lose so many things important to your life. They [Greenbrook Partners] are predatory, preying on families in a crisis,” Sen. Chuck Schumer told protesters at Friday’s rally. “There is nothing more despicable than trying to make a fortune off evictions, and it must be stopped.”

"When you lose your home, you lose so many things important to your life. They [Greenbrook Partners] are predatory, preying on families in a crisis."

"This is the first model of a predatory equity fund... that exists to profit by kicking people out of their homes and then doubling and tripling the rents,” Councilmember Brad Lander told Patch in May, shortly before another rally was held on the same issue. Lander has taken a particularly active role in advocating for the tenants, including cooperating with housing rights advocates in New York and Texas to pursue legal action against Greenbook and encourage divestment from the fund.

Related coverage:

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