Private equity firms and large landlords are buying more and more properties in our district, driving up rents to pad their profits. By ensuring that tenants always have the first opportunity to organize and raise funds when the property they live on is being put up for sale, we can start to put housing back in the hands of the people that live in it.

Too often tenants believe they have given up certain rights because of the content of the lease they've signed, even though City, State, and Federal housing protections ensure that those rights cannot be alienated. By heavily fining landlords for maintaining leases with unenforceable clauses and for even offering them to prospective new tenants, we can protect tenants from being tricked into giving up their rights.

Throughout Albany landlords are failing to maintain their properties up to building code standards. This neglect means unacceptable living conditions for tenants, especially given the cost of rent. If a landlord is unwilling to maintain their properties, they should be returned to the community, where they can be properly invested in.

Public Banks help keep local governments', businesses', and individuals' money invested in their own community while also providing easier access to loans for opening small businesses, first-time homebuyers, building new housing, and community renovation projects, instead of sending your money out of the community to make investments abroad in fossil fuels or weapons development.

These data centers drive up utility bills, pollute the environment, and provide no long-term jobs. Let's keep them out of Albany.