I nominate Jimmy McMillan to head Mayor Adams’ First-Ever
Tenant Protection Cabinet. You remember Jimmy don’t you? He ran for Mayor
against Cuomo under the “Rent Too Damn High Party”. Yes, that was a real thing.
He ran for president in 2012. He’s been referred to as Papa Smurf, the Black
Hulk Hogan and a bunch of other names. It’s easy to write him off as a quirky
New York character, except he was spot-on on his only issue. The rent was to
damn high.
Mayor Adams agrees, so he has created a cabinet to develop strategies
and policies to fix NYC rents. What’s wrong you ask? New York City average rent
is $3,755 per month. There are not enough affordable homes for the number of
bodies. Rents are high and the vacancy rates are low. Shelters report a record
high 120,000 residents and growing. Plus the city is now spending Billions on
undocumented immigrants.
The New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey also reported
racial and ethnic disparity in rentals. The survey found that 23 percent of
Black and 20 percent of Hispanic New Yorkers reported three or more problems
with their housing, compared to 9 percent among those households headed by both
a White New Yorker or Asian New Yorker. Same ol, same ol.
Whether you agree with Mayor Adams or don’t, one thing is
clear; something must change to create more housing, so everyone has some
affordable place to live. Jimmy may be 77 now and not particularly interested
in this post but give the man his due. The rent was, and is, too damn high.
If you have some good ideas give them to the Tenant
Protection Cabinet. If you are tired of renting and want to own…AskHollingsworth
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