New York leaders should follow President Biden’s lead and immediately take action to strengthen and expand rent stabilization in New York.
On July 16, President Joe Biden called on Congress to cap rent increases at 5% in apartments owned by corporate landlords – the first time a sitting President has embraced rent control since the 1970s. The announcement marks a major milestone for tenants from across the country who have been pushing the Biden administration to keep rents affordable.
Housing Justice for All Coalition Director Cea Weaver: “Families across New York state are struggling to stay in their homes because landlords keep jacking up our rents for no reason but greed. President Biden is right: rent caps ensure families can set roots in their communities and stay for the long term. Biden should act now and not wait for Congress to keep rents affordable.
“But while we wait for federal action on rent control, New York State can act now to keep rents affordable by expanding rent stabilization to cover every renter in the state. New York tenants need rent control now from Buffalo to Brooklyn.
“The research is clear: embracing rent stabilization keeps rents affordable, holds communities together, and boosts voter turnout. In an election year, voters will be looking for leaders who are willing to deliver for them on bread and butter issues. It’s time for elected officials at all level of office to commit to keeping renters in their homes”
Bingjie, a rent stabilized tenant in Manhattan’s Chinatown and a youth leader at CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities: “Rent stabilization has allowed me and my family to stay and have a home. I see rent stabilized housing as a system of water. It has the fluidity to allow different people to stay. It connects the stories of different bodies as working class families fighting for a place that is here to stay. Let us continue the legacy of the organizers before us and expand rent stabilization for the future generations with their own stories and fights.”
Keenan Richards, a tenant and member of For the Many in Kingston, NY: “Rent stabilization would completely change things for me and my neighbors. Right now, landlords can increase rents by hundreds of dollars per month if they want, effectively evicting families from their homes and shredding the fabric of our communities. We all deserve a safe, stable place to live. Why should landlords keep getting richer while everyday people worry about keeping a roof over our heads? I need rent stabilization now and so do my neighbors.”
