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MEDIA RELEASE NOVEMBER 18, 2008 |
CONTACT:
JOSHUA SLAUGHTER |
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Browning Secures Passage of Legislation that Prevents
Hauppauge, NY- Legislation proposed by Legislator Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) that prevents slumlords from making windfall profits off Suffolk County Department of Social Services rental payments and protects both DSS clients and embattled neighborhoods was passed unanimously by the Suffolk County Legislature at its meeting Tuesday. The bill prohibits DSS from making multiple separate payments to landlords for housing for unrelated individuals receiving public assistance and living in the same single-family home. Legislator Browning is bringing this issue to the forefront of her legislative priorities as slumlords continue to profit and prey on neighborhoods throughout her legislative district. Community leaders and emergency service volunteers all came out to support the resolution. The new law prevents DSS from making payments in excess of 20% of the Fair Market Rental (FMR), which is determined by the federal government. According to the FMR, a four-bedroom home should receive $2,286 per month. There are homes in the third legislative district, which Legislator Browning represents, that are currently housing up to 27 unrelated individuals. A single individual receiving public assistance for room and board can pay a landlord up to $446 per month. This means under the law prior to the passage of I.R. 1948-08, a landlord could collect as much as $12,000 per month in a home with 27 people. Before this law, families on public assistance could not find good homes because a family of four only receives about $936 per month in rental assistance. Slumlords looking to profit take in unrelated individuals because the profit is much greater. Many of these homes are housing mentally disabled individuals or recovering drug addicts, but are not licensed to care for or help these special needs populations. Homes that are licensed through the state to run programs for these individuals will not be affected by this law. “These landlords are strictly in it for the money,” stated Browning. “They don’t care about helping people, they only care about helping their wallets grow. This neglect for the sake of profiteering has left many of our public assistance recipients at risk, and is also negatively impacting surrounding communities. Landlords who have good intentions will not be deterred by this law.” These overcrowded homes are also a major strain on emergency service personnel. They continually have to respond to these homes and are often met by dangerous and substandard living conditions. The amount of resources needed to respond is leaving the rest of the community at greater risk. “Our communities are under siege,” said Legislator Jack Eddington. “I’m calling on DSS to look harder for housing throughout the county. We need to help people be good neighbors, and this legislation is doing that.” “This problem has been growing over the last 10 years,” stated John Sicignano, President of the Mastic Park Civic Association. “Landlords have been gobbling up houses. It’s destroying our quality of life.” “As civic leaders, residents call on us for answers,” said Bob DeBona, President of the Mastic Beach Property Owners Association. “It has been frustrating not to be able to give any. Today, I feel we have shed some light on the problem, and progress is being made.” “I want to thank Legislator Browning for having the courage to propose this,” stated Tawaun Whitty, President of the Greater Gordon Heights Civic Association. “We don’t want to be burdened anymore. These individuals need medical assistance, and the homes need staffing for oversight. The only people we have been helping are the landlords.” If not addressed the problem was only going to get worse. The profits one landlord was making on a particular home allowed him to purchase several more in the community for the same purpose. “This needed to be regulated,” concluded Browning. “Now we need the state to step up and take action. I have sent correspondence along with my resolution to Governor Patterson. I am confident he will respond and address this problem as well. All levels of government need to send the message that taking advantage of the less fortunate at the expense of taxpayers is unacceptable. We are saying as a community and a county “NO MORE”!!!!” |
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