District Council 37 applauds City Council vote lifting Residency restrictions
After two-and-a-half year battle union members win freedom—
long-enjoyed by other city employees—to live outside of the five boroughs

• Residency Fact Sheet (PDF*)
  
  
• City Council Passes Intro. 837

District Council 37, the city's largest public employee union, today praised the New York City Council's passage of a bill—Intro. 837—that eases residency restrictions on 45,000 city employees. City Council members passed the bill by a vote of 50 to 1.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts called today's vote, "A real victory for thousands of dedicated city workers, many of whom are low-paid, minority clerical and blue collar workers in dozens of city agencies who make, on average, $31,000 a year. For more than two years this union has fought for these workers' right to enjoy the same freedom of choice as other city employees who are free to live outside New York City. This overwhelming vote of support by the City Council brings our members closer to being able to live in the surrounding counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam. It is a major victory in DC 37's battle for fairness and justice.

"Lifting residency restrictions offers a viable option for members squeezed by high rents, poor housing conditions and even homelessness," Roberts added. "With housing costs continuing to rise, the residency restriction posed a hardship for workers in search of affordable housing. The Mayor agreed as part of our July 2006 union contract agreement to support expanding residency rules. Now the City Council has taken a critical step towards making it happen."

Roberts noted that more than 85% of the union's members currently live within the five boroughs. This number is not expected to change dramatically in the future.

Intro 837, whose primary sponsor is City Council member Robert Jackson, has 45 co-sponsors. The bill passed a major hurdle on Tuesday, December 16, when it was voted out of the Civil Service and Labor Committee paving the way for City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to bring the bill before the entire Council.

District Council 37, representing 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees, is New York City's largest public employee union.

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