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New Yorkers are making their voices heard as the Rent Guidelines Board prepares for a crucial vote on potential rent changes. On Tuesday, tenants gathered at Joan of Arc Park on the Upper West Side, advocating for a rent freeze due to economic challenges. The board's final public hearing took place that evening, and the decision will be made on June 25.
The board's preliminary vote last month proposed a rent increase of zero to two percent for one-year leases and zero to four percent for two-year leases starting October 1. This left many dissatisfied, with tenants hoping for a freeze and property owners arguing for necessary increases to maintain aging buildings.
Vajra Kilgour, a tenant from Morningside Heights, expressed frustration, saying, "We don’t have a system for providing decent, affordable housing for people." Christina Maria Lopez, a lifelong resident of her building, fears displacement if rents rise.
Property owners, represented by Ann Korchak of the Small Property Owners of New York, argue that a freeze ignores rising costs. "Everything that we need to purchase goes up with inflation," she told NY1. Joyce Holland, managing three buildings, warned that a freeze would negatively impact local businesses reliant on building maintenance.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who appointed six of the board's nine members, campaigned on a rent freeze. The final decision will impact New York City's one million rent-stabilized apartments.
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