News & Press

NY Consumers Are Susceptible to Unfair & Deceptive Business Practices

A new report from the National Consumer Law Center finds that New York State statutes are relatively weak when it comes to protecting consumers against deceptive practices. A bill recently introduced by State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, which MFJ supports, would strengthen consumer protections by clearly defining what constitutes unfair, unlawful or deceptive acts, eliminating the …

Airbnb and Rental Gentrification in Harlem

Uptown 1Radio talks to MFJ Attorney Justin LaMort about new report on Airbnb’s practices, which are shown to be contributing to racial gentrification in Harlem and other areas of NYC. LaMort notes that 1.2% of the available housing stock in NYC is off the rental market because the apartments are used exclusively for Airbnb rentals.  …

Chelsea Tenants, Displaced by Fire, Fight Back with MFJ’s Help

After a Christmas Day fire ripped through their Chelsea walk-up forcing tenants who had lived in the building for decades to move to temporary shelter, the landlord sent termination notices ending their leases on account of the fire. NBC New York covered the story, and State Senator Brad Hoylman reached out to MFJ for help.  …

MFJ Comments on New Airbnb Report

In an article in Bedford + Bowery, MFJ Supervising Attorney Justin LaMort comments on the recently published report from McGill University showing that Airbnb increases rent, quickens gentrification and earns most of its revenue in New York City from illegal rentals. “That there is no difference between the number of illegal listings in 2014 and …

Airbnb Rentals Continue to Depress Affordable Housing Stock in NYC

A new report analyzing Airbnb activity in New York City in the last three years by the School of Urban Planning at McGill University shows that short-term rentals continue to have a negative impact on affordable housing in the City.  It found that two-thirds of Airbnb revenue comes from illegal listings–$435 million and 45% of …

MFJ Joins Advocates in Asking Chief Judge to Ban ICE from Courthouses

Mobilization for Justice joined scores of legal services providers, labor leaders, public officials and advocates in asking NYS Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to ban ICE Agents from New York State courts. Since the beginning of 2017, there have been 78 courthouse arrests by ICE officers in New York City. The letter states: “Right now, any …

OASAS Leaves Three-Quarter House Residents in Limbo

In this op-ed in City Limits, three-quarter house resident Jasmine Monk describes how tenants in seven houses operated by Interline were left to fend for themselves after Interline operators were indicted for Medicaid fraud. Already poor conditions deteriorated rapidly, with no heat and hot water, and broken locks on doors. While the city stepped in …

MFJ Supports NYC Council Action to Reduce Indoor Asthma Triggers

In testimony before the New York City Council in support of Intro 385, MFJ paralegal Jeff Bohn described how low-income tenants are virtually held hostage in mold-ridden apartments that exacerbate children’s asthma because landlords are not fixing the problem and tenants have nowhere else to go. The bill calls for reclassifying mold to a higher …

MFJ Supports Crown Heights Tenants on Rent Strike

Mobilization for Justice is representing a group of Crown Heights tenants who are waging a rent strike after three winters with no heat. As this report from News 12 Brooklyn shows, the landlord has engaged in serious harassment in an effort to force out rent-stabilized tenants. MFJ Attorney Brian Sullivan said, “They’ve illegally removed five …

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