| Andrew, we are in a housing crisis. Rent is higher than ever, and homeownership now seems like an impossible dream for most young people. For Black people, it's even worse. Homes in majority-Black neighborhoods are devalued, discriminatory credit practices and the legacy of historical impacts of redlining make the playing field even more uneven and impossible to navigate. That's why New York City lifting broker fees is a small step in the right direction toward housing affordability. In case you missed it, the New York City Council recently passed a measure that would eliminate steep broker fees for most renters. New York City is an infamously expensive city to rent in, and broker fees in New York City could be as high as 15% of the annual rent. That's an upfront $5,400 fee for a $3,000-a-month apartment. That can put a LOT of apartments out of reach for folks especially when this is coupled with the expense of the first month's rent and a security deposit. It can not only prevent people from moving, but it can also contribute to houselessness and housing insecurity. This is a step in the right direction. We need to invest in our communities. Housing is an essential human right and making it affordable should not be a radical idea. This is possible, and we're going to continue advocating for it until this is our reality in every community in every city. Black Lives Matter has an ongoing partnership with the legendary former Black Panther Party Chairwoman Elaine Brown to fund the Black Panther building (which just opened!) in West Oakland. Black Lives Matter gave a $1 million donation to the project to help it become a reality. 🖤 This building is a testament to the type of radical and abolitionist solutions that the Black Panthers fought for. The building is 100% affordable housing with a hub for Black-owned businesses. This is how we invest in our communities. Solutions that are for us and by us are the future. ✊🏿
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Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It's time we thrive.
As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.
A recurring contribution of anything you can afford goes a long way as we plan for the months, years, and even decades ahead. This is the most effective way for small-dollar donors (like you) to power our Black liberation work.
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