Washington Heights tenants urge rent freeze before Rent Guidelines vote
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, Manhattan (PIX11) - Tenants in rent-stabilized buildings in Washington Heights are demanding a rent freeze ahead of the Rent Guidelines Board vote on June 30th.
The Rent Guidelines Board has proposed increases of 1.75% to 4.75% on 1-year leases and 3.75% to 7.75% on 2-year leases.
A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17th, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side.
New York City Councilwoman Carmen de la Rosa organized a news conference Monday night. She said, "Northern Manhattan and communities of color are facing displacement and further rent burdens, increasing gentrification, displacement."
Landlords say the cost of everything is going up for them. Ann Korchak, with the Small Property Owners of New York told PIX11 News "increased expenses, which we are all seeing, are, you know, covered by rent. Korchak said the cost of everything is going up, including "a triple digit increase for their insurance related to liability, the water and sewage rates are going up over 8-percent, con ed is asking for an 11-percent increase on electric, and 13-percent for gas."
Tanesha Grant, who has rented for twenty-five years, said she and other tenants cannot afford to pay more money every month. Grant told PIX11 News, "What this is going to do is, it's going to have a lot of everyday people leaving New York because we can't afford to live here."
Grant added, "Our last mayor, Bill de Blasio actually froze the rent three times, so when they tell us it can't be done, we don't believe that."
In a statement Monday night, City Hall Spokesman William Fowler told PIX11 News “It’s easy to stand on the sidelines shouting simple slogans, but the reality is, allowing rent stabilized buildings to fall deeper into disrepair by freezing rent would only hurt rent stabilized tenants by subjecting them to worse living conditions and much larger rent increases in the future. The benefit and purpose of rent stabilization is in the name itself — stability — both for tenants and their homes. Freezing the rent would put buildings in jeopardy, and all but guarantees that renters would face a much steeper increase in the future to keep up with costs.”