Bronx unites in Evening of Prayer for the Kingsbridge Armory

Over 350 Bronx residents thank God for our progress
and pray for victory for our righteous cause.

On Wed. Sept. 9 at 7pm, over 350 Bronx residents gathered from seven denominations at the site of the Kingsbridge Armory. Community residents and clergy asked for the blessing of good living wage jobs, recreational space, the construction of schools locally, arts, culture and social programs, retailers that serve the community, and a clean, healthy environment both inside and outside of the armory.

Rev. Doug Cunningham of New Day Methodist church said, "we've been to the hearings, we're at the negotiating table with the developer pushing for good jobs and schools -- but tonight we bring it to a Higher Authority!" The testimonies delivered reflected the personal struggles of Bronx residents and workers. Veronica Grumbs, a middle-aged Caribbean immigrant from Calvary United Methodist shared bravely about her experience of holding an accounting degree but not being able to find work, and Jose Luis spoke of being fired from Stella D'oro for trying to organize a union, winning the right to better wages and back pay and now struggling for the factory not to leave the Bronx.

Father Tom Lynch from Our Lady of Angels had the crowd raise their hands over the Armory and consecrate it, petitioning God to keep us strong and guide the hearts of our leaders to ensure equity in development.Creston Ave Baptist Church's choir had the conservative Catholics calling out halleluyahs! Minister Edwin Pierce from Unlimited Power of God told us that we were each a little boy, picking up a stone tonight to take down a great enemy (David and Goliath). Rabbi Ari Weiss of Uri L'Tzedek declared courageously to the crowd of nearly 400 people -- I am Jewish. I am an Orthodox Jew. -- and then told us that the Talmud commands that workers are paid a living wage.


Then, the crowd silently joined hands in a circle as organizer Abby Bellows from the NWBCCC blew the shofar again and again and then one long blast of awakening. The evening ended with residents dancing salsa and merengue, holding a stranger’s hand to dance and knowing that we were a community united in faith in action and faith in justice.

CLICK HERE for more photos of the prayer vigil

Check out our presence at the Developer’s Hearing in the Daily News

NWBCCC's Ramona Santana sends a message to Senator Espada in Op-Ed piece in El Diario

Published in El Diario de la Prensa June 12, 2009
No Todo lo Que Brilla Es Oro
Ramona Santana, miembro y lider de La Coalicion de la Comunidad y del Clero del Noreste del Bronx

Durante los últimos nueve meses, los inquilinos del Noroeste Bronx han estado luchando para la legislación de vivienda razonable en el Senado Estatal que protegería a muchas familias latinas de bajos recursos de alquileres altos y desplazamiento. Nosotros necesitamos liderazgo en asuntos como éste que afecta directamente a los latinos en Nueva York y esperábamos que un líder latino de nuestra comunidad nos hubiese ayudado. Lo que sucedió fue todo lo contrario y como dicen en mi país, no todo lo que brilla es oro.

Ahora muchas personas se están cuestionando al Senador Estatal Pedro Espada, hijo. Como yo resido en su distrito, esto es lo que sé:

Espada tiene el poder de mover la ley de la protección de inquilinos más importante del Senado, S2237-A. Esta ley terminaría el descontrol de rentas una vez un apartamento esté vacante. Actualmente cualquier apartamento que tiene un alquiler de $2,000 o más, el dueño del edificio puede subir el alquiler al precio que quiera. En mi comunidad de Fordham en el Bronx, no hay muchas personas que pagan alquiler de $2,000. Pero lo que sí tenemos son muchas personas que viven en edificios peligrosos sin calefacción ni agua caliente, reciben cargos ilegales en sus rentas y son intimidados en la corte de vivienda por sus propietarios. A mi mismo me ha pasado todo esto, y yo se muy claramente que la razón por todo esto es la ley de descontrol de rentas. Es un estímulo para los propietarios. Ellos hacen todo lo posible para subir los alquileres y para llegar a su meta de $2,000.

Yo esperaba que el Senador Espada entendiera esto, pero todo al contrario, yo creo que no tiene idea del sufrimiento que estamos viviendo en el Bronx, ya que el pasa la mayoría de su tiempo en Albany y en su casa en Westchester. Su distrito tiene más de 77,000 apartamentos regulados, la mayoría de ellos de residentes latinos. En vez de apoyarnos, el Senador Espada recibe premios de propietarios, almuerza con ellos, y se junta con millonarios en Albany. Pero cuando yo quiero reunirme con él, se me hace muy difícil. Él todavía no ha abierto una oficina en su distrito, dejando a las personas de su comunidad sin representación local.

Victory for NYC Tenants

From: Assemblyman Shelly Silver <info@shellysilver.org>
Date: Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 6:28 PM
Subject: Victory for NYC Tenants
To: info@northwestbronx.org

Dear Friend,

Today we took a big step forward in the fight to strengthen New York City's rent laws.

A little over an hour ago the New York State Assembly voted 91-to-52 to approve legislation that will keep more apartments in rent stabilization by limiting landlords' ability to raise rents after a vacancy by repealing so-called "vacancy decontrol." The bill was a part of legislative package to preserve affordable housing by increasing penalties on landlords who harass tenants or violate rent-regulation orders, prevent landlords from exploiting loopholes to raise rents when leases are renewed and stop them from charging more rent for questionable "capital improvements."

Our legislation would also increase the rent and income thresholds for rent stabilization so that more middle income families can keep their homes.

Finally, we voted to change the law to give New York City - not Albany - control over rent regulation. New York City tenants shouldn't have to beg upstate legislators for better rent laws.

Too many families are being priced out of their communities by skyrocketing rents. That's why it's crucial that we do everything possible to protect rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants, and ensure that working families can continue to afford to live in the neighborhoods they call home.

Thank you for everything you did to get us to this point.

The legislation we approved today was the result of the tireless work of tenants and advocates who have made the calls, written the letters and traveled to Albany to share their stories.

Taking the pressure off of families struggling with the cost of housing is job one for me - and we have much more to do to make sure this legislation is enacted into law - but together I am confident we can succeed.

But for today, congratulations on a big victory.

Very truly yours,

Shelly Silver

The Bronx needs a Stimulus

Jacqui Jaiman, a staff member with the Campaign for Community Values, and a parent leader and former staff person at NWBCCC is featured in this video developed by the Center for Community Change challenging assumptions about how the economic stimulus plan will affect the everyday lives of Bronx citizens.
This March, NWBCCC will send 25-50 leaders to the National People's Action in Washington DC to address how economic stimulus can truly support the lives and issues of low-income residents throughout the nation.

North West Bronx Community and Clergy: Annual Meeting

January 22, 2009


The Annual Meeting of The North West Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, January 22, 2009 at St. James Church.

Community Organizers Seek Unity, Leverage In New Administration

NWBCCC leaders arriving in Washington, D.C. to meet with President-elect Obama's
Transition Team.

1/12/09 NPR Morning Edition- by Pam Fessler

More than 2,000 community organizers met in Washington, D.C., last month to celebrate the election of one of their own, Barack Obama, and also to ask: Now what? How could they use what they hope will be unprecedented access in a new administration? Will the poor and powerless really have a voice?

For those gathered recently at the Washington Hilton, it was a long-awaited moment. For years, these community organizers had been stuck in the wings.

Teresa Anderson, of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, told members of the crowd it was their time to shine. She recalled a promise made in Iowa a year earlier.

"Sen. Obama, now President-elect Obama, told us that we would have a place at the table where the decisions that impact all of us were going to be made," Anderson said. "Today, we are here to keep that promise. Today is a new day."

The audience erupted into cheers, chanting, "Fired up and ready to go." The crowd was so ecstatic — and expectations so high — the ballroom walls actually shook.

This wasn't your typical Washington affair. The activists, with their brightly colored T-shirts and baseball caps, traveled by bus from more than 30 states. Many had children in tow and hope in their eyes. These people are usually out on the front lines, pushing for things such as low-income housing, universal health care and a higher minimum wage. But here they were, on the inside, being courted by soon-to-be White House aides, such as Obama domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes.

"We are counting — counting on you to talk to us," Barnes told the crowd. "And we have already started that process of listening to people on health care so that we can use that information to build the solutions that are going to bring opportunity and mobility back to this country."

But a few blocks away was a sober reminder of just what these groups are up against. Executives from the Big Three auto companies were appearing on Capitol Hill to plead for a $34 billion government bailout.

Gerry Hudson, of the Service Employees International Union, tried to bring everyone down to earth.

"I know, and you know, that this will not happen just because we now have a friend in the White House," Hudson said. "It's going to take the active participation of all of us in trying to figure out how do we, in fact, realize the promise of this moment."

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NWBCCC participates in Citywide Housing Rally to End Vacancy Decontrol

As part of the Housing Here and Now Coalition, The Northwest Bronx Communty and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) was one of eight organizations that planned the spirited gathering against vacancy decontrol, along with ACORN, Community Voices Heard, Make the Road NY, NYS Tenants and; Neighbors Coalition. For more pictures click here.

Vacancy decontrol is the process of preserving rent controls and tenant protections for occupied apartments, but removing them once the tenant moves out—is often mentioned as a "compromise" that would protect "tenants in place" but still give landlords some of what they want.

Studies have shown that it has not spurred development nor improved housing stock in the city but is simply a way that landlords can manipulate tenants.

Our leaders Ramona Santana and Ana Lugo of the NWBCCC Housing Committee gave excellent speeches at the event.