Nearly 50 Black faith leaders to Speaker Menin: protect Black homeowners from Airbnb displacement

For generations, Black churches have been the places where New York families come to pray for a home, celebrate a closing, and hold on through hard times. Now 48 of the clergy who lead those congregations say the homes themselves are under threat – and they are asking the City Council to act. In a letter delivered to Council Speaker Julie Menin, faith leaders from all five boroughs urged the Council to strengthen enforcement against illegal short-term rentals, invest directly in Black homeownership, and partner with houses of worship to keep families in the neighborhoods they built. "Housing stability is not only a policy issue," the leaders write. "It is a matter of justice." The letter, organized by the Black Homeowners Agenda and the Neighbors Not Profits coalition, comes as short-term rental platforms like Airbnb renew their push to weaken the city's short-term rental law. The signatories warn that every unit converted to a tourist rental is a home pulled off the long-term marke