Residents of 63 Tiffany Place, one of the few affordable housing buildings remaining in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, say they face potential rent increases and eviction at the beginning of the new year.
This is because the property’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit regulatory agreement is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2023.
Looking to establish a new agreement, neighborhood nonprofit Carroll Gardens Association said that its organization, along with City officials, State agencies, and tenant leaders, has made multiple efforts to contact the property’s owner — Irving Langer, president of E&M Associates — but he has reportedly been unresponsive to their attempts.
According to Carroll Gardens Association, if Langer continues to remain radio silent to outreach efforts from government organizations, this will prevent the City and State from successfully negotiating an agreement that would “protect tenants from rent hikes and displacement.”
“We have a building with 70 units with older people and senior citizens and we’re going to end up homeless unless somebody really helps us out,” said John Leyva, a 29-year resident of 63 Tiffany Place.
“It's no fault of our own. We’ve paid rent on time, we’ve been good citizens. We are asking for help from all elected officials. I see that they’re trying to have a lot of new developments for low income housing, but we have to save the ones that are here already.”
63 Tiffany Place originated as a warehouse, before being converted into residential condominium units in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Following a foreclosure, the developers sold the property to Related Companies, who would make the decision to offer LIHTC-regulated affordable rental units to Brooklyn residents.
In 2010, E&M Management and C.H.T. Place, LLC would take over building ownership.
According to Carroll Gardens Association, despite the building receiving tax benefits that required the presence of rent-stabilized apartments, the owners are now claiming that rent stabilization protections do not apply to these properties because they are classifying them as “condos,” as opposed to affordable rental apartments.
“63 Tiffany Place is an example of the critically needed affordable housing New York City simply cannot afford to lose in this moment of crisis,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “With a looming regulatory agreement expiration, we must not let that affordability slip away and put families at risk of evictions and mass rent hikes. E&M Associates needs to step up to the table, and City and State agencies need to do everything in their power to make sure tenants get to stay in their homes.”
