Preserving Affordable Housing and Tenants Rights

Preserving affordable housing means strengthening rent regulation and ending unfair rent hikes. Tenants groups, non-profit organizations, and homeless New Yorkers throughout New York City are planning activities and events throughout the coming months to address the need for fair rent levels in New York and to restore local control over rent laws.

Preserving Affordable Housing and Tenants' Rights

Strong rent regulation is one of the most important ways to preserve affordable housing in New York City. Coalition for the Homeless works with tenants organizations to fight for stronger rent laws and tenants' rights.

Challenging Unfair Rent Hikes

New York City’s shortage of affordable housing has grown increasingly acute and affects New Yorkers of all backgrounds. The New York City Rent Guidelines Board was established to administer “fair” rent levels for the 2.5 million tenants of rent-stabilized housing, minimizing the hardship of renters and the uprooting of longtime residents from their communities. Over the past several years, however, the Rent Guidelines Board – whose nine members are appointed by Mayor Bloomberg – has granted unwarranted and excessive rent increases, boosting landlord profits while virtually ignoring tenant well-being. It is crucial, now more than ever, that New York City tenants come together to demand truly fair and balanced decisions from the Rent Guidelines Board instead of biased, landlord-friendly rent hikes.

• Download a flyer about the 2005 RGB public hearings

• Download a flyer (in Spanish) about the 2005 RGB public hearings

• Download a flyer about upcoming events and activities

• Download a flyer (in Spanish) about upcoming events and activities

• Download the Rent Guidelines Board fact sheet

• Find research on New York City rent stabilized housing

Home Rule

The thirty-year-old “Urstadt Law” passed by Albany lawmakers has denied New York City residents control over rent regulation and tenant protections for over one million apartments. The law essentially prohibits the City of New York and the New York City Council from strengthening rent regulations and protections for the tenants of one third of all housing citywide. As a result, rent regulations have been severely weakened as well as protections for tenants facing eviction. New York City has also experienced an accelerating decline in the number of affordable rental apartments as well as the loss of tens of thousands of apartments to de-regulation. New York City’s Mayor, City Council, and State Legislators must make repeal of the “Urstadt Law” and restoration of home rule a top priority.

How to Get Involved

For more information about the campaign or how get involved, please contact Lindsey Davis, Community Organizer, Coalition for the Homeless, ldavis@cfthomeless.org.