Hasidic Landlord Helps First Black and Gay-Owned Business in Harlem With Back Rent

Alexi Minko’s bar, the Alibi Lounge, is the first black and gay-owned business in Harlem, for which he has had to make creative and painful choices to keep afloat during the pandemic. To renew his lease, he must now come up with $15,000 by the end of the month. Minko’s landlord, Mordy Getz says, “Everyone loves black and white: good tenant, bad landlord, [but] that’s not how life is.” The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Getz paid for several months of Minko’s back rent already and despite having had a tough year himself, has discounted the rent by 30%. “A landlord doesn’t want to be harsh on his tenants, but he has obligations in terms of the bank, and in terms of utilities and taxes, [and] if those don’t get paid the land’s going to end up in foreclosure.” He wants the lounge to succeed because he wants those who are treated like outsiders to have a space to feel safe. Together, landlord and tenant have created a GoFundMe and a plan for how to get the business back on track. Read more here.

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