NYC Launches Condo Conversion Campaign

Monday November 02, 2009 | New York City

On October 27, 2009, Right to the City-NYC held a rally and press conference to launch our campaign to convert vacant luxury condos into housing for low-income people and to release some preliminary data from our citywide vacant condo count; the participatory research project we have been working on for the last three months. Through our research, RTTC-NYC identified 601 vacant condos or stalled construction sites in 6 low-income communities where we are organizing.

At the rally, 150 RTTC-NYC members and joined with elected officials to call on Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to convert vacant condos into permanently affordable housing for very low-income people. 

The condo count and rally was covered by dozens of media outlets--to see some of the press coverage of the rally and condo count research, click the links below.

METRO, October 27, 2009: A close look at the city’s condo crisis

CRAIN’S NEW YORK BUSINESS, October 27, 2009: Survey finds 601 troubled condo projects
Figure from grassroots alliance Right to the City-New York covers just six neighborhoods but is far above the official tally for the city as a whole.

BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE, October 28, 2009: 150 Rally for Conversion of Vacant Condos to Affordable Housing
 
GOTHAM GAZETTE, October 27, 2009: Condos, Condos Everywhere
 
CURBED, October 27, 2009: Arrested Development: Dueling Stalled Construction Lists