NYC housing rights powerhouse Aaron Carr took time to chat with MYD about his experiences fighting for one of the most critical issues within New York City – affordable housing.
“Protection of the law should extend to all walks of human life, not just those who can afford it.”
How did you become interested in issues of housing?
Prior to starting Housing Rights Initiative, I was the chief of staff for Assemblymember Michael Blake in the South Bronx. During the winter months, our office would get bombarded with heat complaints. At the time the threshold at which a landlord was required to provide heat was 40 degrees at night. I helped draft a bill with my team that would have increased the threshold for heat to 50 degrees. However, when I brought up the bill to the gatekeepers of the Assembly, the Albany machine, not only did they tell me that it would never get passed, that we shouldn’t propose it at all, because it would upset the real estate lobby. Forget about the elderly and the children who would be forced to suffer without heat in the winter. This motivated me to take matters into my own hands.
How did you decide to start Housing Rights Initiative?
During my time working in the South Bronx, I not only became aware of the enforcement desert, but the disproportionate impact it has on those who lack legal representation, predominantly communities of color. Protection of the law should extend to all walks of human life, not just those who can afford it. And it was through those experiences where I learned the art of legal mobilization. Instead of waiting around for Superman, we leveraged the tools at our disposal to do the job ourselves. We organized, mobilized, and connected tenants to legal support. It was by far the most meaningful experience of my career, and is why I left government to embark on this journey.
Can you explain how your work at Housing Rights Initiative helps protect tenants in NYC?
Housing Rights Initiative (HRI) works to fill an enforcement void by using a data-driven and systematic legal approach. Using a wealth of public data, HRI conducts analysis on properties receiving affordable housing subsidies from the government and looks for statistical indicators of fraud. HRI then canvasses target portfolios, collects information from tenants, and determines whether a systematic pattern of rent overcharges exists. Upon uncovering a rent overcharge scheme, HRI generates class action lawsuits. We have generated over 55 class action lawsuits to-date.
How do you begin gathering evidence for a lawsuit and how do successful lawsuits benefit tenants?
HRI’s efforts will lead to the return of thousands of illegally deregulated units to the rent stabilization rolls and tens of millions of dollars in rent refunds and rent reductions to aggrieved residents. There is also a wider impact for local neighborhoods and for the citizens of New York. Affordable housing enhances a sense of community and continuity. Transparency and accountability are the building blocks of social justice, and when citizens, residents, and policymakers see that the system is holding fraudsters to account, it builds broader faith in social justice and the rule of law.
“Focus on your issue and fight hard for your issue, and never lose sight of the big picture.”
Can you share an example or two of cases where you have helped restore rent stabilized apartments in a building or ensured landlords paid fines for rent overcharges?
One of HRI’s class actions resulted in a rent refund of $850,000 to tenants.
Separately, an investigation by HRI found that over the course of two years, the city had approved over 10,000 falsified work permit applications, misstating the total number of rent stabilized units in hundreds of buildings. This led the city to reform its work permit application process.
Additionally, HRI’s investigation into Kushner Companies led to a $210,000 fined by the city, an investigation by Governor Cuomo’s Tenant Protection Unit, and a subpoena by federal prosecutors.
Perhaps the most notable case you are working on is a class action lawsuit filed against Kushner Companies. Can you tell us more about why this case was filed and what the results have been thus far?
HRI has generated three lawsuits against Kushner Companies for illegal deregulations and illegal construction. In one of those cases, Kushner Companies responded by re-stabilizing dozens of units and returning $100,000 in rent overcharges to multiple tenants.
Do you have any advice for a young person who is thinking of starting their own organization to combat a pressing issue they have identified?
Focus on your issue and fight hard for your issue, and never lose sight of the big picture. Get advice from hundreds of people but only listen to a few. You can’t eat everything at a buffet. Learn the ins and outs of your issue. Have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And when you’re sleeping, it should be the only thing you dream of. Most importantly, make sure it is something you’re passionate about, because it will consume you, but don’t forget to enjoy the ride.