Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Member of the Progressive Caucus, rallies with tenants at the June 27, 2017 Rent Guidelines Board hearing.
New York, NY – The Rent Guidelines Board voted yesterday in favor of rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments, with 1.25 percent raises for one-year leases, and 2 percent raises for two-year leases. The New York City Council Progressive Caucus is disappointed at this outcome following a successful two-year rent freeze for one-year leases. While this increase may not seem like much, for tenants living on minimum wage salaries or Social Security, this will further squeeze their limited incomes and may ultimately force people out of their homes. Additionally, while we respect the obligations of the board to evaluate rental adjustments for over one million rent-stabilized units that house working-class New Yorkers, we also acknowledge that tens of thousands of these units have been lost and deregulated due to unscrupulous landlords, illegal transient use and tenant harassment. There is a housing crisis in our city that is worsening, and diminishing rent-stabilized units, as well as increasing rent, are only farthing the issue.
We remain optimistic, however, that tenant rights and the importance placed on affordability are being acknowledged, as over the past four years, we have seen the lowest guidelines in history. We will continue to fight for a fairer and more just New York, especially for the most vulnerable.
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