By: Beth Wallach
In a letter to state senator and Rockville Centre resident Dean G. Skelos, the Brotherhood's executive director, Margarita Grasing, wrote, "A 50 percent cut in our budget will definitely impact the quality of services we provide." Grasing sent the letter to Skelos with the hope that he would intervene on the agency's behalf to have the funding, which now stands at $32,500, restored to its original total of $65,000.
With the lack of affordable housing on Long Island grabbing headlines, Grasing, who has been the head of the Hispanic Brotherhood for more than 20 years, said that the crisis has forced 90 percent of Latino students who graduate from Long Island high schools to settle elsewhere, because there is no housing for them. With home prices and taxes continuing to soar, she said, buying a home is not a reality for the majority of working Hispanic families, many of whom rely on federally subsidized Section 8 rental housing.
The recently published Long Island Index, a poll taken by the Garden City-based Rauch Foundation, examined housing and other issues confronting Long Islanders, such as economic growth, health concerns and the environment. The study revealed that 43 percent of people polled in Nassau and Suffolk counties are concerned that the high cost of housing will force members of their families to move elsewhere, and 75 percent of residents polled responded that the problem of young people moving away is serious.
"In Rockville Centre we have to preserve what little we have," said Grasing of the few available rental units in the village. She said that because of a language barrier, many in the Latino community don't know their rights when it comes to housing, and that "landlords are getting away with murder." The agency works closely with Section 8, which was established in 1975 to help low-income families, elderly people, and those with disabilities rent decent, safe and affordable housing.
The housing services provided by the Hispanic Brotherhood are wide ranging. In addition to assisting any Rockville Centre residents who have problems with housing, the agency translates for tenants, makes sure buildings are properly inspected and maintained, and acts as middleman between landlords and tenants. It also holds workshops to inform people of their rights, and invites bank and mortgage companies to advise people on how to buy homes.
Grasing cited the Manhattan Building, a rent-controlled apartment house comprising about 18 units, as a prime example of how her agency's intervention helps protect both landlords and tenants. A while back, the building, on Sunrise Highway, had fallen into disrepair. Grasing said the rents were so low that the landlord was losing money. After negotiating with the landlord and the Division of Housing, the Brotherhood was able to get the landlord increases in rent, which allowed him to put money into the building to make the necessary improvements. "The tenants were not affected, Grasing explained. "Section 8 paid the increase."
Jenny Cepero, the Brotherhood's housing coordinator, is responsible for managing all housing-related legal issues. Already concerned that the housing crisis on Long Island will force people to leave the area, Cepero said, "On top of a lack of low-income housing on Long Island, and it getting harder to find in Rockville Centre, if we get a cut in funds, it's going to get worse."
Grasing said that even though it is poor, the Latino population has long been a stable part of the Rockville Centre community. With two-bedroom rentals costing $1,300 and more, and combined incomes supporting a family of four averaging $25,000, many people are waiting for Section 8 housing. In many cases, according to Cepero, families have been waiting up to five years.
The reputation of the school district draws people to Rockville Centre, and the Hispanic community is no exception. Many work in restaurants or for landscaping businesses, often doing work no one else in the community wants, and, like many immigrants, often taking any job just to survive. "Survival is not easy," said Grasing, "and we're not making it any easier."
Tom Dunham, Skelos's director of communications, said that the senator received Grasing's letter, and has given instructions to add an emergency meeting, requested by the Brotherhood, to his calendar. "This is nothing extraordinary," Dunham said. "Every year there are proposed cuts to the executive budget for important programs and services, and through the budgetary process we will work to restore their funds."
Going to court is not cheap, and if the new budget stands as is, Cepero and Grasing agree that they will not be able to take on any new legal cases. Cepero said that when a landlord is not providing heat or making necessary repairs to a property, sometimes the only way to seek redress for a tenant is by legal means. With the budget cut in half, she said, "There's nothing we can do to help them out."
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