Preserving And Expanding Tenants Rights And Affordable Housing

The 33rd District consists of predominantly low and moderate income tenants. Like many of my neighbors, I have lived in a rent-stabilized apartment in the Kingsbridge neighborhood for 10 years. So I understand their concerns and share their values.

• I applaud the New York State Supreme Court rule in the recent law suit brought by Tenants and Neighbors that the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) exceeded their authority when they determined that tenants who have lived in their apartments for six years or longer and whose rent is under $1,000 a month should pay higher rent increases than all other rent stabilized tenants.
• I support the full Repeal of Vacancy Decontrol sponsored by Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. This bill repeals vacancy decontrol, which has already cost New York City and the suburban counties of Nassau, Westchester and Rockland Counties an estimated 300,000 apartments that have been removed from rent and eviction protections and are no longer affordable. The bill also re-regulates 90 to 95 percent of the apartments that have been lost to vacancy decontrol in the last 15 years.
• I also support Senator Cousins’ bill on adequate protections for former Mitchell-Lama & Section 8 Tenants which provides for rent stabilization coverage for all Mitchell-Lama and project-based Section 8 buildings that leave or have left those government-supervised programs, regardless of when constructed or first occupied.
• I support prohibiting landlords of newly rent-stabilized buildings from seeking rent increases under the “unique or peculiar circumstances” loophole.
• I reject Senator Espada’s phony “rent freeze” proposal which will result in the loss of affordable housing and the erosion of tenants right.
• I will work to repeal Urdstadt Law (which denies NYC the right to determine its own rent laws).