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Local News


NEW YORK CITY RENT GUIDELINES BOARD VOTES IN FAVOR OF RENT HIKES

By Alecia Reid, Elijah Westbrook

Updated on: June 21, 2023 / 11:39 PM / CBS New York

 * 
 * 
 * 


Emotions runs high as Rent Guidelines Board votes to raise rents

NEW YORK -- As many as 2 million New Yorkers are going to have to reach a little
deeper into their pockets to pay for rent.

The Rent Guidelines Board voted Wednesday to increase one-year leases by 3% and
two-year leases by 2.75% in the first year and 3.2% in the second year in
rent-stabilized units. The increases will be enacted in the fall.

"The reason we did it that way was to lessen the blow for tenants that sign a
two-year lease. So they're only incurring 2.75% on that first year, then 3.2%
for the second year, rather than 4.5% over two years flat," said Adan Soltren of
the Rent Guidelines Board.



From the moment the meeting began to the time it ended, protesters were vocal.
So much so, it was difficult to hear anything the board had to say.

"This is a human rights issue and I'm furious," rent-stabilized tenant Virginia
Crawford said.

"You raise the rent. People can't afford the rent. You think they're gonna leave
the city? They're not. It's gonna create crime and they're gonna rob us to eat
and sleep," tenant Malikah Khadijah Shabazz said.  

"We're coming out of a pandemic where people are still trying to figure out
their lives right now and a rent increase is the last thing they need," said
Darius Gordon of the Met Council on Housing.

 * Related Story: Tenants make emotional pleas against rent increase at New York
   City Rent Guidelines Board meeting

While some tenants were asking for a rent freeze, saying there is a current
affordability crisis in New York City, the group that represents owners of
rent-stabilized apartments said the increase is not enough to maintain
buildings, many of which are more than 100 years old.

"I understand the Rent Guidelines Board needed to build consensus to pass a
vote, but it's in the context of a broken system that yielded a result that is
not sufficient for owners to maintain stabilized buildings," Michael Tobman of
the Rent Stabilization Association said, adding his organization, "will continue
to press its case in Albany, at City Hall, and, yes, again at next year's Rent
Guidelines Board deliberations."



Neither side left here happy on Wednesday night. Renters vowed to continue
fighting to lower rent increases.

 * Read More: New York City Rent Guidelines Board agrees on preliminary rent
   hike range after protesters take over public meeting

Many tenants had been trying to convince the board to not increase their rents,
especially after already seeing one of the biggest rent hikes last year in
almost a decade.

Tenant advocates argued any increase would lead to poverty and homelessness.

"Life changes could mean displacement, being evicted because we can't afford the
rent," said Tabitha Julien of Equality for Flatbush.

"Our landlords are already rich. They get money from our paychecks every single
month," one said during a recent public hearing.



"I should not be paying $991 a month with three roommates in a rent-stabilized
apartment," another person said.

Mayor Eric Adams released a statement after the vote, commending the board for
the difficult work it took to come to this conclusion. He added that he is
committed to building more affordable housing for New Yorkers.

   In:
 * Rents
 * New York City

Alecia Reid

Alecia Reid is an award winning, Emmy nominated reporter for CBS New York. She
is a sustainability & social justice advocate; passionate about giving a voice
to people who may not otherwise be able to tell their stories.


Read More

First published on June 21, 2023 / 6:42 AM

© 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read more




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