“It’s shocking the difference and damage one administration can do to our city’s affordable housing crisis. The current administration has professed to care about affordability, but we continue to see the largest proposed rent increases in decades fueled specifically by the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) members appointed by this Mayor.
“Tonight’s vote by the RGB is a failure that will lead to an unsustainable burden on tenants across the city while also not providing the relief some owners need. With rents at historic highs and vacancy rates at historic lows, we cannot continue to try and squeeze more money out of tenants who simply cannot afford it. Doing so will only exacerbate our homelessness crisis while driving New Yorkers out of their homes. While it is true some property owners, particularly smaller scale owners, are facing financial challenges, the city and state must bolster efforts to improve access to programs that provide them with support without adding undue burdens on all tenants across the city.
“It’s clear by tonight’s vote that the Board did not listen to the countless tenants who made their voices heard during the RGB’s citywide hearings leading up to this vote. The city and state must now work diligently to address the housing crisis that has been exacerbated by the pandemic– by building and preserving housing at a rapid rate– and the Mayor must begin to prioritize tenants by implementing bold, creative solutions that help them and all who are fighting to afford a city that is rapidly becoming unaffordable."
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