Statement from Linda Rhodes
President of NYCHA LES Tenants Association
July 16, 2025
Like everyone in our community, I was shocked to learn that the board of Sixth Street Community Center unjustly fired Howard Brandstein and then used the police to force him out of the Center where he served as Executive Director for 35 years. This was a grave injustice and cannot stand. On behalf of all the members of the NYCHA LES 5 Tenants Association, I am calling for Howard’s immediate reinstatement and a new board for Sixth Street.
Howard’s vital work in our community must be allowed to continue. This includes his work over many decades developing low-income housing and fighting against privatization and displacement of the people who live in the Lower East Side. For the past five years we have worked with Howard to create a new community land trust on East 6th Street to construct 65 or more units of low-income housing. This project will include NYCHA residents on the community land trust board of directors and will advocate for community preference for NYCHA residents living in overcrowded apartments. We give our full support to this project, to the Friends of Sixth Street and to Howard and look forward to working with him again soon!
Thank you.
Linda Rhodes