KINGSTON – State Supreme Court Justice David Gadin, JSC, Thursday, issued a in the rent control lawsuit, Otis Apartments, et al. vs City of Kingston.
The order prevents the city and State Department of Housing & Community Development from enforcing certain aspects of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) pending the final decision in the case.
Owners will not be required to offer renewal leases during this period and tenants will continue on a month-to-month basis.
Housing Providers of New York State Executive Director Richard Lanzarone says his organization expects that the owner plaintiffs will ultimately prevail.
- “The city itself conducted a survey itself that showed that their vacancy rate is 7.04 percent, and the city council, obviously faced with a politically unpopular decision of having to end rent control – remember there are more renters than there are property owners – refused to give up rent control, even though the law says they must,” he said.
Five percent vacancy is the cap for implementing rent control.
But, tenants and advocates vow Kingston rent stabilization is not over.
“The idea that Kingston’s housing emergency is over is preposterous,” said Xaver Kandler, political director of the group For the Many. “It’s nearly impossible to find an apartment to rent, even for people making middle class incomes.”
He said the vacancy study is “an arbitrary and outdates measure of a housing emergency and it’s time to get rid of it by passing the REST Act.”
Emergency Stabilization for Tenants (REST) Act would provide for an
alternative method for localities other than New York City to opt in to rent regulation rather than the five percent cap on vacancy. It would also expand the range of rental housing that can be covered.
Comments