We're in the midst of a historic housing affordability crisis, one that is pushing out working-class and middle-class families from New York City. But on Tuesday night, the mayoral-appointed Rent Guidelines Board decided that despite approving rent increases on millions of rent-stabilized tenants for two years in a row, and despite the fact that the RGB's own analysis this year found that the finances of most rent-stabilized buildings have improved, renters in stabilized housing—whose median incomes are below the city average and who are disproportionately rent-burdened—should pay even more in rent.
In a preliminary 5-2 vote, the RGB approved a range of increases, which would kick in for leases signed after October 1: between 2 and 4.5 percent for one-year leases and between 4 and 6.5 percent for two-year leases.
It was a typically raucous evening, according to news reports. Hundreds of tenants packed the meeting, held at Laguardia Community College, regularly chanting over RGB chair Nester Davidson. The two tenant reps on the board, Genesis Aquino and Adán Soltren, went so far as to leave the stage and refuse to cast a vote. "If you ask me if the voices of the New York City tenants matter in this process, I would say no. The process is a sham," Aquino said.
"The only vote we'll be making tonight is one of no confidence in this mayor and in this board," Soltren said. He added, "I've been at this for three years now, and each year the board has made the decision to further hurt tenants by raising rents significantly. You wonder why some people call it the 'Rent Increase Board.'"
It's certainly been the "Rent Increase Board" under Mayor Eric Adams, in stark contrast to his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, whose appointees to the RGB approved rent freezes during the COVID-19 pandemic and minimal rent increases in other years.
But even Adams seemed a little taken aback by what his appointees did on Tuesday night. "Our team is taking a close look at the preliminary ranges voted on by the Rent Guidelines Board this evening," the mayor said in a statement. "And while the Board has the challenging task of striking a balance between protecting tenants from infeasible rent increases and ensuring property owners can maintain their buildings as costs continue to rise, I must be clear that a 6.5 percent increase goes far beyond what is reasonable to ask tenants to take on at this time."
The final vote, which is sure to be as contentious as usual, will be on June 17.
And some links that will not raise your rent:
- As the NYPD and university administrators crack down hard on pro-Palestine student protesters (see Hell Gate's continuing coverage for more), Governor Kathy Hochul is laser-fixed on her priorities: ensuring graduating students can listen to boring speeches telling them to be the leaders of the future (not now though—if you try that now, you'll be violently arrested).
- Via Gothamist: "The MTA inked a $141 million contract on Tuesday to install cameras on thousands of buses that automatically ticket drivers illegally parked along their routes—which officials said will speed up service for riders across the city. The deal expands an MTA pilot program that since 2019 has allowed for cameras on roughly 600 buses to issue parking tickets, but only to drivers parked in bus lanes. The new technology scales up that program, and allows the equipment to also ticket any driver double parked along bus routes without bus lanes, as well as cars illegally parked in front of bus stops."
- "150 People Sue, Saying They Were Abused as Minors in NYC Custody"
- Via the Daily News: "Mayor Adams dismissed the notion Tuesday that Hassan Naveed, his former director of hate crime prevention, was fired for being Muslim, suggesting instead that Naveed got shown the door for performance-related reasons. 'You're given a responsibility in a role, you're in charge of hate crimes. I'm seeing an increase in hate crimes,' Adams said at City Hall when asked why Naveed was terminated April 16. 'People have to live up to what they're hired to do, taxpayers deserve that.'" Maybe someone should take their own advice...
- Meanwhile, everyone is mad at the mayor, but for the most asinine reason.
- This seems bad.
- Only $9,000?
- "From installing electrified doorknobs to ballistics-grade walk-in closets, the city's ultra rich are feeling ultra-paranoid."
- Mayor Eric Adams's lawyers are "playing hardball with the woman accusing him of sexually abusing her while they served in the NYPD together decades ago," per the New York Post.
- Now this is what I'm talking about: "NYC asks judge to order house arrest for 'worst landlord' in one of his own buildings"
- Meet New York City's most devoted smoker.
