LMLT DEFINES ITSELF!

WHO WE ARE
Lower Manhattan Loft Tenants (LMLT) is a non-profit, voluntary union of tenants who work together to protect safe housing in live/work spaces (ie: lofts). Established in 1978, LMLT's original terrain was lower Manhattan, SoHo, and TriBeCa; today it is a coalition including Chelsea Loft Dwellers and Brooklyn Loft Tenants that serves nearly all loft residents in three boroughs of New York City.

WHAT WE DO
LMLT presents tenants' views to elected representatives in the State Legislature and the City Council, to officials of the New York City Loft Board and other administrative agencies, and to the press. We keep our constituency informed of issues that require urgent grassroots action through meetings and mass mailings, and provide a free weekly housing clinic to individually counsel tenants on their rights and responsibilities. In addition, we monitor rulings of the Loft Board; go to court to appeal misguided opinions of city agencies and fight challenges to tenant protections; keep track of litigation affecting loft tenants, sharing the information with lawyers and legislative counsel; and actively lobby the NY State Legislature in order to guarantee the continued success of the Loft Law. To contact LMLT call 212-539-3538.

WHY WE DO IT
In the volatile real estate market of New York, conflict between tenants and landlords is a regrettable given. The adoption of the Loft Law in 1982 was only the first step in establishing a program that would provide an equitable balance between property owners and tenants. Because the rules and regulations as stipulated in the law are complex, tenants' rights can easily be diluted by administrative decisions and the legal maneuverings of landlords and their attorneys. Constant vigilance is necessary to maintain fair and safe housing protection for loft tenants.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
Effective political activism cannot be accomplished without the aid of a grassroots constituency. There is strength in numbers and organization, and the greater we are in number the stronger our power is in the on-going fight to defend the rights of loft tenants. But to achieve our goals, the efforts of LMLT require funding. All money raised from member dues and donations goes directly to serving the needs of the loft tenant community. All of our work is done on a volunteer basis; there is no paid staff. By joining the dues-paying membership of LMLT, you are helping us help you to keep your home.

HOW WE THANK YOU
Members know that the only source of up-to-date information they can trust is the LMLT Newsletter. Annual membership dues entitle you to a subscription to this publication. Our newsletter addresses the concerns of loft tenants by answering questions about the Loft Law--providing details you won't find anywhere else; by reporting on proposed changes to the law that could affect you; and, most importantly, by identifying the legal booby traps lying in wait for unsuspecting tenants--issuing alerts for urgent grassroots action before it is too late to help. Membership dues also insure that you will receive advance notification and guaranteed entry to all LMLT meetings--where you have an opportunity to discuss and shape the current issues facing the loft community in a direct discourse with local politicians and the leadership of LMLT.


The artists and tenants who pioneered loft neighborhoods, using their own resources and sweat equity to convert empty commercial spaces into living/working quarters, will endure. The mission of LMLT is to empower the loft tenant community and help it to prevail.



JOIN THE GOOD FIGHT!

Please join us by becoming a member today!


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