Rent laws are set to expire one month from Tomorrow
(Long Island, NY) With just over one month remaining until the expiration of rent laws State Senator Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan/Bronx), the Ranker of the Senate’s Housing Committee, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, other elected officials and advocates called for an end to deregulation of New York’s one million rent regulated units and an end to massive rent increases for the units’ 2.5 million tenants. 35,000 regulated units have been lost under the current rent laws since their passage in 2011. Over 200,000 units have been deregulated since 1993.
State Senator Adriano Espaillat, elected officials, and advocates called for an end to deregulation of New York’s one million rent regulated units and an end to massive rent increases for the units’ 2.5 million tenants. Photo Credit: NYS.
“New York is in the mist of a housing crisis which we can not hope to climb out of if we continue losing affordable housing. It is imperative we expand rent regulations to stop sharp rent increases that are forcing working New Yorkers out of their homes.” said State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Ranker of the State Senate’s Housing Committee. “Ending this crippling loss of affordable housing will be evidence that Albany has emerged from the shadow of big money. Allowing it to continue will be proof the scandals that rocked the Capitol have not altered it.”
“Our city, in communities in every borough, is losing more affordable housing than we have the resources to build. As communities like ours begin to transform, so too does the fabric of our city. Now more than ever we must come together with our colleagues in state government and fight for better rent regulations so that our city can combat this housing crisis,” said NYC Council member Ydanis Rodriguez.
“For a while, I was the only tenant living in my building. Not caring that my family still lived there, the owner started demolition of all five other units. I practically lived in a construction zone but refused to accept a buyout and leave” says Irania Sanchez, member of Make the Road New York. “Rent regulated housing is one of the last frontiers of affordable housing that we have. If we lose it, where will we go?”
“New York is in the mist of a housing crisis which we can not hope to climb out of if we continue losing affordable housing,” said State Senator Espaillat. Photo Credit: NYS.
“Over 1 million working families are depending on Albany to strengthen our rent laws and end rent deregulation. The corruption that shaped the rent laws to favor landlords and developers has caused the loss of 250,000 rent regulated apartments and increased tenant harassment. One month from today, the legislature must stand up for tenants by ending these corrupt policies.”- Ava Farkas, Executive Director of Met Council on Housing
“Those of us working diligently to build and rehabilitate affordable homes for ownership understand that we cannot simply build our way out of the housing crisis, but must preserve the existing affordable housing stock currently available to low-income families as well,” said Matthew Dunbar, Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy for Habitat for Humanity New York City. “Rent Stabilization is a critical program that preserves our neighborhoods and communities and must be renewed and strengthened in order to keep New York affordable for families who would otherwise be faced with displacement and further economic hardship.”
Rent regulation gives security to working families, allows them to climb the ladder, and strengthens the middle class,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “It is one of City’s most important affordable housing programs and one of the best tools we have for fighting income inequality. We must stand with tenants by strengthening rent laws and work together to stop the loss of affordable housing.”
“My housing report showed that we’ve lost more than 400,000 units renting for less than $1,000 since 2000, and we can’t afford to lose even one more,”said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “We need to end policies like vacancy decontrol and the vacancy bonus that give landlords an incentive to push tenants out. Every time this happens, that’s one more family struggling to remain in our City. There’s no issue that is more important to more New Yorkers this year—and to the economic health of our City–than the renewal and strengthening of rent stabilization.”
“With one month to go until rent laws expire, the stakes could not be higher for tenants in the city. If we are to make New York City affordable for low income residents and protect the fabulous diversity of our neighborhoods, we cannot simply preserve the status quo. I urge the Legislature and Governor Cuomo to seize this moment and strengthen rent laws for all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Mark Levine.
State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “Rent laws represent our city’s last line of defense to keep apartments affordable for millions of New Yorkers, so it is critical that we renew and strengthen those laws before the end of the legislative session. I applaud Senator Espaillat for his efforts on this issue, and will continue to work with my colleagues in government and our committed tenants’ rights groups to protect New York families from the astronomical cost of housing that has seized our city.”
“During the next month, we must work together to fight for housing policies that not only preserve, but also increase the number of rent-regulated units throughout our City” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “We cannot continue to allow lax rent laws to decimate our City’s affordable housing stock and saddle New Yorkers with substantial rent increases that they cannot afford. As a State, we have an obligation to enact policies that protect those New Yorkers that depend on rent-regulated units to keep a roof over their heads.”
“As New York’s rent and co-op protection laws expire in a month, it is not only imperative that we renew these protections, but we must also work to reverse deregulation that has reduced the number of rent-protected apartments in the last 20 years,” State Senator Jose Peralta (D-Queens) said. “This issue is central to affordable living for New Yorkers. My colleagues and I are fighting for these protections in Albany.”
