May 19, 2025
Activists, attorneys, and small landlords call for an end to the program they say fuels displacement and speculation.
A public hearing on New York City’s controversial tax lien sale took a turn recently when protesters rushed the speaking area, chanting for task force members to “do your jobs, stop the sale that steals and robs,” unfurled a large banner, and stopped testimony before being told to leave by security.
…[Paula Segal, an attorney at TakeRoot Justice] said the task force should return to its mandate and propose meaningful alternatives. That includes prioritizing early intervention in the foreclosure process and allowing city agencies—not private speculators—to step in. She also urged consideration of a debt forgiveness model that allows homeowners to keep their homes by transferring the land to a community land trust in exchange for clearing the debt.
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