The Council voted on the first legislative item of the session, a bill to extend the period during which Council Members can determine the status of New York City’s housing emergency. Pursuant to State law, the City Council must periodically determine whether there is an ongoing housing emergency defined as a vacancy rate of less than 5% of the City’s rental housing stock to maintain rent stabilization laws. If an emergency persists, the Council can pass legislation to extend the City’s Rent Stabilization Law until the following determination is due.
New York City’s most recent Housing and Vacancy Survey data from 2017 indicated a 3.63% vacancy rate and resulted in a 2018 determination of an ongoing housing emergency. The next survey, scheduled for 2020, was postponed to 2021 due to the Census, extending the housing shortage determination period until April 1, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic created additional delays for the survey, leading Governor Kathy Hochul to amend the Local Emergency Housing Rent Control Act and authorize another extension of three months to determine whether the housing emergency is ongoing. This bill would amend the expiration date of the New York City Rent Stabilization Law to bring it into accordance with the State amendment and reflect the extension from April 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022—a vital protection for New York tenants.
“The pandemic is still impacting New York City on multiple fronts, including exacerbating the housing affordability crisis that pre-dated the arrival of COVID,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Extending the period of determination for our City’s housing emergency will allow tenants to remain protected under rent stabilization laws for additional time. I thank Council Member Sanchez for her leadership on this important legislation.”
I am proud and excited to sponsor my very first bill in the City Council: Intro. 70. This bill, which passed in the Housing and Buildings Committee and is slated to be voted on at today’s Stated Meeting, is critical to ensuring rent stabilization can continue in New York City, upon proper finding in the City’s Housing Vacancy Survey,” said Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, the bill’s sponsor. “Last year, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau, conducted the City’s triennial Housing and Vacancy Survey, or HVS. The HVS is a critical survey used to determine whether the City’s rent stabilization laws can continue. Ordinarily, the HVS is conducted every three years, and was last scheduled to take place in 2020. That year’s HVS was postponed in part due to the 2020 census and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The State and City passed legislation to extend the deadline by one year. The extension this bill grants will provide HPD and the U.S. Census bureau additional time to thoroughly complete their analysis of the 2021 HVS. Int. No. 70 would extend the expiration of the City’s Rent Stabilization Law from April 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022. This is important as Rent Stabilization laws protect 1 million renter households each year from wrongful eviction and unreasonable rent increases. I am excited to carry this bill so crucial to everyday New Yorkers.”
The Council also voted on a bill (Int. 71) and accompanying resolution (Res. 54) to extend automatic renewal of property tax exemptions for senior citizen homeowners and those with disabilities, who had received them in the 2021-2022 tax year. The bill would eliminate the need for them to submit the otherwise required application, while requiring renewal applications under certain limited circumstances where there is a reason to believe the property is no longer eligible to receive the exemption. Without action by the Council, none of these homeowners would be automatically renewed in the program and there are an estimated 7,100 homeowners who have not yet renewed with an approaching March 15 application deadline. The exemptions apply only to one, two, and three family homes.
“Families, seniors, and vulnerable New Yorkers are facing rising costs in the midst of a recovery from the myriad impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Automatically renewing properties that received the Senior Citizens Property Tax Exemption (SCHE) and the Persons with Disabilities Homeowner Property Tax Exemption (DHE) for the new tax year will go a long way to support and protect homeowners. More than 7,000 New Yorkers could benefit from the Council’s action to pass this critical legislation.”
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