The Times (and NY Times) they are a changin' - and support REAL RENT REFORM NOW

NY Times

The Opinion Pages | Editorial

A Moment to Fix New York’s Housing Laws

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD MAY 8, 2015

. . . .

The reforms involve the state’s rent-stabilization law and an obsolete tax break for developers. Both expire on June 15, and reforming them is an important goal of tenants’ advocates and of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has made it his mission to preserve and expand the city’s endangered supply of affordable housing.  Click on the link for the full editorial.

May 14 - more important than ever! Come to Foley Square at 5 PM

RALLY TO SAVE NYC!  
Thursday, MAY 14, 2015 
at FOLEY SQUARE - 5 PM
Just 6 weeks until the rent laws expire - and 
Gov. Cuomo is tamping down expectations of 
anything other than just extending the laws as
 they are.  That would mean losing tens of 
thousands more apartments through vacancy 
deregulation and the resulting displacement of 
many, many New Yorkers.

Gov. Cuomo: Where's your support for stronger rent laws?

New York Observer: Tenants slam Cuomo for failure to support stronger rent laws

Crain’s: Tenants push Cuomo to support pro-tenant reforms

Mayor de Blasio's Plan for Affordable Housing

Mayor de Blasio has proposed STATE laws that he says would create 60,000 units of affordable housing

• Increase 421A tax break affordable housing requirements from 20% to 25-30% of units built.  421A would apply to rental housing only (not condos), and the affordable units would stay affordable only for 35 years - not permanently.

• To the existing 1% sales tax for apartments selling for $1 million or more, add 1% for those selling at $1.75 million or more, and another 0.5% for apartments $5 million or more.
•  End vacancy decontrol of apartments
•  End the current 20% rent increase when an apartment becomes vacant.
•  Limit Major Capital Improvement and Individual Apartment Increases so they are not permanent.

See the details in:

NY Daily News' Juan Gonzalez: Mayor Bill de Blasio proposes sweeping pro-tenant changes to rent laws

NY Times: Mayor de Blasio's Plan to Spur More Affordable Housing in NY

Cuomo & Heastie positions on 421-A

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Speaker are positioning themselves for end-of-session negotiations over renewal of the rent laws and the 421-a program. 

• Cuomo is angling for renewing both programs in the current form – exactly what the real estate lobby wants. 
• Heastie says he wants “enhancements” to the rent laws. The three articles below shed light on this early maneuvering.

Capital New York: Cuomo open to changing 421-a development subsidy 

Capital New York: Assembly rent regs agenda remains unchanged

NY Post: Corruption probes affecting rent control extensions: Cuomo

Strategy and Rent Law Lobbying - Gotham Gazette article

The Gotham Gazette, Strategy Meetings SIgnal Coming Flurry of Rent Law Lobbying

Excerpt: 

There are differing proposals for how to improve rent control for tenants and it is unlikely any individual bill proposed in the Legislature will become the solution as a bill package will almost certainly be hashed out in secret by Cuomo and the leaders of each house. But a few of the ideas include limiting landlords' ability to increase rent after repairs so that once the repairs are paid off rent would return to a baseline. There is also talk of ending vacancy decontrol and stopping landlords from being able to increase rent by 20 percent once an apartment becomes vacant.

Watch / listen to a clear explanation of the rent issues

City & State has a good interview with Tom Waters of the Community Service Society (he spoke at one of our tenant association meetings) and Jose Lopez of Make the Road NY.

They explain the main issues at stake for the next 6 weeks - before the rent laws expire on June 15th!