Assembly passes affordable housing, rent protection bills
By Matthew Dondiego
The state Assembly last week passed a comprehensive package of bills strengthening rent regulations and expanding access to affordable housing.
The package includes legislation increasing eviction and rent protection for tenants living in buildings that were formerly section 8 housing (A.5828); requiring housing offered through the Mitchell–Lama program become rent-stabilized to ensure affordability (A.4051); restricting a building owner's ability to evict tenants from rent regulated apartments for the owner's personal use (A.5177); repeal of vacancy decontrol laws that allow owners to increase rent above $2,500 (A.1585/S.1167); and reducing the monetary amount landlords may increase rent on vacated apartments from 20 percent to 7.5 percent (A.5178).
"The shrinking of affordable housing stock is driving up the homelessness in New York City. We must prevent the erosion of affordable housing to ensure that low- and middle-income families can remain in their communities," said Assemblyman Keith Wright, chairman of the Assembly Housing Committee. "The measures approved by the Assembly will protect generations of New Yorkers from skyrocketing housing costs and arbitrary evictions. I hope these bills receive swift passage in the New York State Senate."
Other measures included in the package of legislation are efforts to protect tenants renewing their lease from costly rent increases (A.5473/S.1775); ending rent surcharges stemming from major capital improvements once the costs of improvements have been recovered (A.5373/S.1493); increasing the time period landlords must own property before it is eligible for alternative hardship rent adjustment (A.2181/S.0513); preventing landlords from charging supplemental rent increase on low-income housing (A.991/S.1806); and requiring the New York City Council to confirm Mayor Bill de Blasio's appointees to the Rent Guideline Board, while also increasing the amount of experience required to be appointed to the board (A.104-b/S.0208-b).
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-05-19-87974.113122-Assembly-passes-affordable-housing-rent-protection-bills.html