It is no secret that New York City has some the highest rent prices in the world; in fact we are currently ranked third worldwide.  As a result of these high rents, many communities in New York City are under attack by an out-of-control housing market.  There is nowhere that this is felt harder than in the poor and immigrant communities and the middle class and senior populations.  With rent still on an unprecedented rise, ordinary working class people and families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, particularly in the community of Flushing, Queens.  Flushing has long been a diverse community with people from all parts of the world.  Over the years, Flushing has seen a substantial Asian-dominant influence in culture, investment and development.  Recently, the neighborhood of Flushing has seen a real estate explosion and private and international developers are looking to cash in.  Today “affordable” housing is becoming more of a phrase than an actuality. For decades, landlords have routinely taken advantage of lousy Tenant Laws that have significantly favored the landlord. Under current rent laws, tenants have little protections against landlords and their right to their home. With real estate prices on a sharp incline, landlords are looking to get the most out of their property.  From a business development stand point this is great for Flushing, but there are few laws that could protect tenants from their landlords.  There are countless stories of incidences where ruthless landlords have abused this power to displace their tenants.  There are a variety of ways landlords  could use their power gain the upper hand.  One of the tactics commonly used is the Major Capital Improvement or MCI.  The MCI is one of the few legalways that landlords use to make more money on rent stabilized buildings.  Landlords do this by making improvements to the building and passing the cost onto the tenants.  Many times improvements are being made without tenant input or knowledge and are often hazardous and very disruptive to the daily life of the tenants.  By being able to continually increase the rent, in some cases 6% annually, many renters are struggling to pay rent and afford a decent quality of life. This video gives an inside look at how MCI’s are used to price out vulnerable  low income tenants and make room for higher paying ones.