Portside Towers advocates again dominate Jersey City Council meeting over rent increases

hudsoncountyview.com

Submitted by ComeBackAndHauntMe t3_10yhp6m in jerseycity

Among the City Council’s highlights: -Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano read aloud the letter he sent to Mayor Fulop and Pastor Shyrone Richardson, the new Director of the Landlord Tenant Office -Portside tenants are now expanding their reach by announcing their Twitter (@RentControlJc) and e-mail accounts (RentControlJc@gmail.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVqUZdtzNz8 Start at 1:06:27 for the full line up of speakers including Right to Counsel speakers. Portside-specific speakers start at 1:28:02 and end at 2:13:02. Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano starts at 49:25.

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bindrosis t1_j7z6my3 wrote

Does anything ever get accomplished at these meetings or is this just a platform for people complain?

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HappyArtichoke7729 t1_j802jyz wrote

The city doesn't want rent control. Where do you think all these Fulop campaign funds come from? They certainly aren't coming from the Portside Towers Tenant Associations. And therefore, Mayor Steven Fulop doesn't give a flying fuck about enforcing rent control for these folks.

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ComeBackAndHauntMe OP t1_j80zsf0 wrote

Replying to bindrosis (#1,770,430)

This post got your attention, so yes, the press that results from the City Council meetings is one example of why constituent advocacy is important. Unless you attend the meetings you might not yet be aware of the following:

  • Portside tenants are bringing awareness about Jersey City's rent control law, Chapter 260, to fellow JC tenants. The amount of misinformation about rent control exemptions, even here on Reddit, is astounding. Even city agencies may not be giving tenants correct, lawful information.
  • Portside tenants are striving to teach other tenants how to organize their own tenant associations. Forming a tenant association is an added layer of protection while tenants fight for their rights (see NJSA 2A:42-10.10).
  • Portside tenants are teaching other tenants how to determine whether a mutli-family building within JC has a proper exemption, no matter what a building's owners may say on tenant leases. Behaving 'as if' one is exempt from rent control is not uncommon. Tenants should know that it is illegal and there is a process to defend themselves.

City Council members and even Hudson County officials/candidates are paying attention. The consistent, growing number of tenants who have been showing up at City Council meetings is bringing awareness for increased transparency related to lawful exemptions from rent control. No one tenant needs to feel alone anymore. And where there's increased transparency, we can expect a decrease in nefarious actions against tenants by bad actor landlords. It's been less than five months since Portside tenants went public with their fight for tenant rights...there's so much more organizing in the works.

If you are interested in learning more about what has been accomplished, you can DM me. You can also follow Portside tenants on Twitter (@RentControlJC).

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney

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ComeBackAndHauntMe OP t1_j81162h wrote

Replying to HappyArtichoke7729 (#1,772,045)

Perhaps you are correct. But if he does care, he can show his constituents otherwise.

Should Fulop run for governor, he's smart enough to know that while money might get him so far, at the end of the day, it's votes that are needed to get him elected.

Word travels; Jersey City does not exist in a vacuum.

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