Protesters decry proliferating illegal hotels: Elected officials, housing advocates and labor reps will rally Thursday evening in Hell’s Kitchen

By Lisa Fickenscher

The number of illegal hotels in the city has grown 20% over the past 12 months and a group of elected officials, housing advocates and labor representatives plan to protest the proliferation Thursday at a rally.

The 280 illegal hotels in New York City are not only depleting the supply of affordable housing units, they are siphoning away business from legitimate hotels, said Jackie Del Valle, director of organizing at Housing Conservation Coordinators, a nonprofit that represents low-income tenants.

HCC, along with the three-year-old Illegal Hotels Working Group, is spearheading the rally taking place at 6:30 p.m. at 413 W. 46th St. on Thursday. State senators Liz Krueger and Tom Duane, Assembly members Deborah Glick, Dick Gottfried and Linda Rosenthal and City Councilwoman Gale Brewer are slated to speak at the event.

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