Strengthening Tenant Protections
Earlier this month, I was proud to speak about my work to strengthen New York's tenant protections at the Real Rent Reform town hall meeting. The meeting was a chance for legislators and activists to come together to talk about what must be done to better protect tenants in our city.
We are coming up on a moment of truth for New York's tenants: the existing rent laws set to expire in June, and if we don't take action to extend them, tenants will be left high and dry.
But the current protections are not enough. I have said many times that our rent laws are broken and our city's affordable housing stock is in crisis. Among other steps, we need to repeal vacancy decontrol, raise the income decontrol threshold so that middle-class New Yorkers don't lose their rent protections, reduce the increases landlords are allowed for vacant rent-stabilized apartments, strengthen our anti-harassment laws, and reform the Major Capital Improvement process to make it less burdensome for tenants.
In 2009, the Assembly passed legislation to do all these things and more. Unfortunately, these important reforms did not make it through a dysfunctional State Senate. Now, as we prepare to renew New York's rent laws, I will fight to expand tenant protections to include these desperately-needed reforms.
There is much more we can do for New York's tenants. For example, it is very important that we reform the Rent Guidelines Board. Every year the Board approves increases that fatten the profits of landlords while hurting the families who rely on the Board for protection. It's a shame that an organization created and designed to protect affordable housing in New York has strayed so far from its mission.
This is why I sponsor legislation that will bring important reforms to the Rent Guidelines Board. It will require the Board to use better data, prevent landlords with serious violations from collecting rent increases, abolish the need for lease renewals, and rebalance the Board so that mayoral appointees no longer hold more power than tenants and landlords. The Rent Guidelines Board should be independent and objective enough to make decisions that are truly fair for everyone.
The fight for real rent reform is not easy, but I am committed to standing up for New York's tenants.
District Office of Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner
315 East 65th Street New York, NY 10065
T: (212) 860-4906 F: (917) 432-2983
Hours: M-F 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Roosevelt Island Hours: Every Thursday, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
(At the RIOC offices, 591 Main Street)
Email me: KellnerM@assembly.state.ny.us
Visit my website: www.MicahKellner.com