Senator Serrano Sponsors Important "Know Your Rights" Housing Court Community Forum

(Bronx, NY) - Senator Serrano sponsored an important "Know Your Rights" Housing Court Community Forum in the Bronx. The forum included a presentation by a panel of housing experts: CASA/New Settlement, Housing Court Answers and the Urban Justice Center. These experts informed constituents on how to manage housing court issues. The Legal Aid Society also participated in the event, providing free legal advice to constituents. Attendees engaged in at Q&A session at the end of the event.

"Navigating the Housing Court system can be extremely confusing for tenants who do not have legal representation," said Senator Serrano. "This is why I feel it is important to inform my constituents about their legal rights when facing any type of housing court issue, from landlord harassment to eviction.

"Many of my constituents are at a disadvantage because they are unable to afford legal representation, which makes it difficult to have a level playing field. I want to thank all the housing experts who participated in this event for their work in helping to make housing court a more just place for the tenants in our community," concluded Serrano.

Senator Serrano is a staunch advocate of affordable housing and is the sponsor of a number of bills to help protect tenants- including S1040 to eliminate the ability of landlords to obtain a twenty percent increase in rent upon the vacancy of a rent-controlled apartment and  S5597, which requires any NYCHA owned property to obtain community input through New York City's Uniform land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) before NYCHA can sell, lease, or otherwise depose of any land.