16 times • APRIL 7, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Hundreds marched to protest unfair housing practices in Bushwick BY MAGDALENA WAZ editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @ThrowBigWords Bushwick residents marched throught the neighborhood on March 30 demanding visibility and accountability when it comes to unfair housing practices in the Bushwick community and the borough. The march was organized by Make the Road New York, The Alliance for Tenant Power and Churches United for Fair Housing. The march began at 301 Grove St. and wound its way up Knickerbocker Ave. to 300 Suydam St. where many community members and leaders called for increased scrutiny directed at landlords who take advantage of every law and loophole available to them in order to force longtime and low-income residents out of their homes. Since 2005, the median rent in Bushwick has jumped by $400, which is no small chunk of change. Bushwick is a particularly vulnerable community because the percentage of home ownership is low, and most of the buildings are small enough that existing rent stabilization laws do not cover them. In addition to increasing prices and a lack of regulation, Bushwick’s landlords often make it to the top of the lists of the city’s worst landlords. Community leaders including Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, Public Advocate Letitia James, City Comptroller Scott Stringer spoke about the ways in which residents are negatively impacted by underhanded landlord practices. Of course, most of the community already knows this, but the current budget negotiations in Albany could be the perfect window for activists to finally start making progress and introduce reforms. Amanda Osegueda, a low-income tenant at 300 Suydam St. highlighted the immediate problems she faces due to the preferential rent loophole, which allows landlord to raise rent by hundreds of dollars upon lease renewal. At the press conference, Ms. Osegueda said, “This Friday, April 1st, the new rent that I am being charged goes into effect and it is going to be very difficult to pay it with my low income.” She is not alone. Middle Village Prep holds lottery for new students BY THE RIDGEWOOD TIMES STAFF MVP educates students in grades editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com six through eight, offering a “vigorous @RidgewoodTimes curriculum” with a special emphasis on math, reading, science, A select number of incoming social studies and Latin, according sixth-graders will be selected to to MVP Principal Ron Rivera. attend Middle Village Preparatory This will be the school’s fourth (MVP) Charter School in September admissions lottery. New York State through an admissions lottery education law requires charter scheduled to take place next week. schools to hold admissions lotteries Located on the campus of Christ in the event the school receives the King Regional High School, more admission applications than the actual number of seats available. Students are selected at random through the lottery, but preference is given to those children currently residing within School District 24. Students who are not selected will be placed on a waiting list. “We are excited for our fourth admissions lottery,” said Rivera, who noted that MVP graduates its first class this June. “We are also proud to announce that all of this year’s graduating students have been accepted into their top choice high schools,” he added. “We are very proud of them and wish them continuous success in high school.” The admissions lottery will take place at 7 p.m. on April 13 in the Hugh P. Kirwan Auditorium of the Christ the King Campus, located at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. Photos: Alonzo Maciel/Bushwick Daily
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