Voices from the People's RGB

Many tenants and advocates were upset  that the Rent Guidelines Board chose not to hold an outer borough hearing this year. We found it unacceptable that the board would consider voting on an increase without first consulting with the communities most impacted by their decision.

So, we organized. We asked the board if they would hold a hearing in the Bronx if we provided a free room and guaranteed a good attendance; they declined. We invited them to attend our "People's RGB" in the Bronx and make it formal part of their public calendar; only the tenant members chose to attend. We tried to bring their voices into the public hearing via video testimony; we were shut down. Outer borough tenants have tried to participate in the Rent Guidelines Board process, but their efforts have not been rewarded.

Click on these names to see video clips from the People's RGB, and hear the testimonies of tenants who could not attend the one formal RGB hearing, held in Manhattan, primarily during business hours. These are the voices of outer borough tenants who cannot afford yet another RGB rent increase.

• Fitzroy Christian

• June McMillion

• Doris Attah

• Ignacio Garcia

• Gladys Roble

• Vincent Falls

• Melida Martin

• Alfie Katz

• Carmen Guillen

• Soledad Franco

• Brenda Dawson

• Maria Mejia Garcia

• Grace Torres

• George Sotroff

• Lucy Arroyo

• Terri Ham

• Jaime Valencia

• John Nevarez

• Catherine Wilson

• Ed Figueroa