Editor,
The Hudson Valley’s untenable housing crisis will not be addressed until the region is represented by legislators who are willing to stand up to corporate real estate interests. That will never be the case with Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106), who has repeatedly voted against tenants’ interests and is being backed by some of New York City’s largest luxury landlords in her reelection campaign.
Barrett, who twice opposed extending the COVID-era eviction moratorium and Good Cause Eviction protections for upstate tenants, is facing an impressive primary challenge from Claire Cousin, a community organizer and housing advocate who co-founded the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition. While Barrett has benefitted from a real estate-funded independent expenditure spending at least $22,000 on her campaign, Cousin is rejecting corporate money and provides a detailed vision for housing in her campaign materials. In addition to Good Cause, Cousin supports the Housing Access Voucher Program, which would address high rates of homelessness; expanding the STAR credit and codifying the Homeowner Protection Program to help homeowners; and establishing a Social Housing Development Authority to create permanently affordable housing throughout the state.
During her 12 years in office, Barrett has had multiple opportunities to make her district more liveable for regular people. Instead, she’s sided with corporate real estate interests over and over. If Hudson Valley residents want real solutions to the housing crisis, they would do well to elect Claire Cousin on June 25th.
