Photos by Stacie Joy
The event took place outside Michelle Dry Cleaners & Laundry, 169 Avenue C between 10th Street and 11th Street... 
Organizers, which included the Cooper Square Committee, East Village Community Coalition, Village Preservation and the East Village Independent Merchants Association, said that they have been hearing from many business owners who continue to struggle to pay rent during the pandemic ... all in the face of drastic declines in their revenues.
In addition, according to the organizers, immigrant and business owners of color say they have been disappointed by the lack of outreach and assistance in securing working capital to stay afloat.
In turn, several of the small businesses were placing "Permanently Closed" signs on their storefronts to visualize their struggle and what is at stake if the state does not take action. They are asking state legislators to support Senate Bill 3349/Assembly Bill 3190, which would help cover the cost of rent for businesses and nonprofits who lost income due to COVID-19.
Under the bill, the commercial tenant, property owner and state government would share the burden of the rent shortfall. Certified COVID-19-affected commercial tenants would have to pay the lesser of 20 percent of their actual income or one-third of their rent, property owners would have to forgive 20 percent of the rent, and the state would pay the remainder.
Businesses will continue to lose money until King Cuomo lets indoor dining move to 50 percent as in the rest of the state.
ReplyDeleteWe still have the “takings clause” of the Fifth Amendment and due process. It’s no more legal to demand that landlords forgive 20% of the rent due then it is to compel retail stores to reduce their prices by 20%. Given the current composition of the Supreme Court it’s not certain that the rent stabilization laws could survive court challenge let alone government seizure of 20% of a landlord’s income.
ReplyDeletePlease read the bill, there is a subsidy for landlords
DeleteBusiness were ordered closed. No revenue by order.
ReplyDeleteBills kept coming.
Relief is fair and deserved.
Landlords don’t have bills?
DeletePlease read the bill, there is a subsidy for landlords
DeleteWe need to rally around small businesses as much as possible right now. I know the EV does a great job of this, but we can always do better. To that end, Michelle Cleaner's is the BEST dry cleaner I've found around here. I lug my laundry there, passing multiple dry cleaners on the way because they're that good. They're also the friendliest, kindest cleaners in the city, please give them your support!
ReplyDeleteRE 10:24 "read the bill, there is a subsidy for landlords"
ReplyDeleteUh, No. There is an automatic cut for every landlord.
From the article above:
"property owners would have to forgive 20 percent of the rent"
Everyone needs to share the pain on this. Small business / tenant pays what they can (which is what most have been doing, paying whatever they can), landlord forgives some rent, and the government chips in too. The cost of the pandemic shut down can't all fall to the tenant, that's not fair.
ReplyDeleteThe 5th amendment guarantees no takings without "just compensation." Not 100% compensation, especially when logic and human decency dictate a small business cannot possibly pay 100% of pre-pandemic rents right now.