(Long Island, NY) Statement from State Senator Adriano Espaillat, Ranker of the Senate’s Housing Committee: “With 14 session days left, and 26 days until rent laws are set to expire, passing stronger rent laws must be our top priority. Four years ago, I voted against the last set of rent laws because I knew they were not strong enough to ensure working New Yorkers could stay in their homes. In the last four years 35,000 rent regulated units have become market rate apartments and thousands of families were displaced as a result. More than 200,000 units have been lost since the early 90’s.
We cannot hope to end the housing crisis in New York City if we continue to lose affordable housing at this horrendous rate. The state legislature must act to protect the affordable units we have left and the tenants who depend on them by passing stronger rent laws. I have introduced legislation (S.S3364-A/ The Tenant Protection Act of 2015) which would protect tenants from unfair rent increases and ensure regulated units remain affordable. Ending session with no rent laws or the same set of weak rent laws would put hundreds of thousands of families at risk of losing their homes.”
