New York- Assembly Member Seawright announced her continued support of residents following an agreement that will preserve 55% of Roosevelt Island Westview’s 361-apartment affordable housing development, for middle-class residents on Roosevelt Island for the next 30 years. The agreement comes after Seawright’s advocacy to reach a fair deal for residents and provide the option to continue renting with protections that align with New York City rent regulations or first-time homeownership opportunities at below-market, insider pricing.

Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright said, “In working with stakeholders throughout negotiations, those who have made their home and have grown families in Westview were my motivation to move forward the work of the agencies involved by bringing them together in my district community office. This deal successfully established choice for Westview residents and is a step towards preserving affordability in our city and state.”

Stakeholders on Roosevelt Island lauded Seawright’s leadership in keeping lines of communication open and pushing for holistic and fair negotiations between Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), and Empire State Development (ESD) agencies.

President and CEO of RIOC Susan Rosenthal said, “I thank State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright for her support during the negotiation period. Hundreds of Roosevelt Islanders will be allowed the opportunity to either buy or continue to rent their home at a reasonable cost because of this agreement.”

Opher Pail, Co-Chair, Westview Task Force, Inc. said, “This affordability plan is great news for Roosevelt Island. All Westview residents will be able to continue living in their homes. Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright relentlessly and effectively advocated on behalf of Westview tenants for a deal that will provide security for residents for years to come.”

The Office of Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright will continue to support residents throughout the transition and will host a resource fair for Westview residents in the fall.