Dear Mayor de Blasio,

New York City is losing its affordable housing stock at a rate faster than we can build. The best way to preserve affordable housing is to PASS and FUND INTRO 214 which provides the right to counsel in eviction proceedings. In 2013:

• about 30,000 families were evicted from their homes
• two-thirds of those families earned less than $25,000 a year

It costs the city $36,000 a year for a shelter bed, and about $250,000 to build an affordable unit. There are many costs we can't calculate, like days lost from school, days lost from work, stress, and instability for families. Full representation in housing court costs about $2,000- $3,200 per case. At a time of heightened inequality, the tale of two cities plays out in Housing Court like nowhere else.

As New Yorkers, we are calling on you to combat inequality, by PASSING and FUNDING Intro 214. It’s a Human Rights issue.

Lead the city and the nation in providing equal access to justice and protecting affordable housing.  We need to act now by PASSING and FUNDING Intro 214.