Mayor, at rent reduction rally, says he backs people there
KINGSTON, N.Y. >> Mayor Steve Noble said he stands with the people at a rally for rent reduction in Kingston on Tuesday outside of City Hall, but did not specifically say whether he favored the call for rent reduction.
For the Many, a group that supports progressive causes and political candidates, held a press conference Tuesday that attracted 20 people to call for a rent reduction plan, which would be the first in New York state history if it were to be adopted. Noble spoke at the event, which was taking place before the city’s new rent guidelines board was to hold its first public hearing.
At the press conference, Noble said that landlords have taken advantage of a housing shortage by raising rents during a period when no new residential projects were being constructed.
“A 3% increase was something (previously) we could see once in a while, a 5% increase would mean maybe a big investment was made in that property to fix… an apartment, a 15 (to) 40% increase that some of our tenants saw over the last two years is completely inappropriate,” he said.
Citizen Action representative Tyler Vanderhaag said the city Rent Guidelines Board needs to review data over the past two years to determine how much rents can be decreased.
“The Rent Guidelines Board must roll back rents … to begin to undo the harm in the last three-plus years of price gouging of rents in Kingston,” he said.
Board tenant representative Carolina Soto said landlords have put significant pressure on tenants to sign leases that have had increases far exceeding the cost of living index or rate of inflation. She described her own experience to underscore the tactics.
“After one year they offered us a one-year term lease with a 10% rent hike but we were able to bargain that down to 7.5%,” she said.
“So when the second term lease of offered it was all out coercion,” Soto said. “I felt threatened by the language and the numbers. First of all, they said if we signed this piece of paper we would get a mere 18% rent hike and if we didn’t sign it before (a deadline)
our rent would go up (by) 30%.”
Earlier in the day, when asked if he supported the call for a rent reduction, Noble did not answer directly.
“The rent guidelines board will be hearing testimony directly from residents both tonight and next week and will take into consideration all the feedback they’ve received, while also being guided by the New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal,” Noble said in an email. “While I know what tenants have experienced over the last few years with steep rent increases, this is an opportunity for residents to share their frustrations directly with the board and I trust the board will make the best decision possible.
“I thank all of the members of the public who have come out to make their voices heard, and I thank For the Many and our other housing organizations for their tireless activism in Kingston,” the mayor said. “We are in the midst of a housing crisis and need organizations like For the Many to support our local housing initiatives and help us protect tenant rights. We were proud to work together to pass the Emergency Tenant Protection Act here in Kingston and look forward to working on many housing issues to come.”
The Common Council on July 28 adopted a resolution declaring a housing emergency in Kingston and opting into the provisions of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, or ETPA.
The rental protections under ETPA can only be applied to buildings constructed before 1974 that have six or more units. When rent stabilization under the ETPA is in place, the annual allowable rental increases would be determined by the rent guidelines board. The operation of rent-stabilized units would also be regulated by other rules, including building maintenance standards and penalties, lease renewals, and capital improvements.
The city’s rent guidelines board is expected to meet annually to set guidelines for rent adjustments with assistance from the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal.