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NYC Housing Rent Control Battle, Round: 99,999,999,999 - Page 3 — Brooklynian

NYC Housing Rent Control Battle, Round: 99,999,999,999

13

Comments

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    The time for the yearly battle is arriving....

    Will DeBlasio be successful in freezing rents (aka not providing landlords with a COLA) at the March 27th mtg?

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/nyregion/renters-hope-for-promised-freeze-as-de-blasio-prepares-to-fill-guidelines-board.html?ref=nyregion&_r=1
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    The advocates for the tenants in rent stabilized apartments are demanding that they be subject to zero increases, despite being in apartments that many would pay much more to live in:

    http://www.realrentreform.org/2014/03/march-27-at-9-am-rent-freeze-rally-at.html?utm_source=March+#3+Eblast+2014&utm_campaign=Mar+#3+Eblast+2014&utm_medium=email&m=1
  • crownheightster
    crownheightster
    The Crown Heights Tenants Union is arguing for a five year rent freeze, among other demands, such as being able to pass down leases to children/successors. Any chance of success?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    The rent freeze isn't going to happen.

    If they are listed on the lease and are family members, family members can presently lease the apartment if it has been their primary residence. This provision will not be watered down.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited March 2014
    While the advocates for a rent freeze have good motivations, I fear they fail to understand that at present the supply of rent stabilized housing is shrinking despite previous rent increases: 

    http://furmancenter.org/files/publications/HVS_Rent_Stabilization_fact_sheet_FINAL_4.pdf

    Freezing rents would make the $ difference between the rents landlords are able to collect under the program vs market even greater, thus encouraging them to take steps (legal and illegal...) to get their apartments out of the program.



  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    The circus is coming to town!

    http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/05/02/rent-guidelines-board-to-vote-on-hike-for-rent-regulated-tenants/
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    This view resonates with me: http://gothamgazette.com/index.php/government/5005-debate-over-historic-rent-freeze-heats-up
  • Esperanza
    Esperanza
    Thanks for posting this article.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I remain concerned that a rent freeze would cause LLs to engage in practices (both legal and illegal) to escape rent stabilization.

    These unintended effects may be so large that the Tenant Advocates lose more than they gain.
  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy
    If the mayor wants a rent freeze then he should freeze taxes and especially water and sewer rates that are going crazy. But that won't happen. I'm not pro or anti landlord but DiBlasio is sounding sillier and sillier with each passing day. And putting affordable housing into each building is not going to rid NYC of income inequality. The only way to do that is to get educated and get a job. Government handouts will never be enough to put everyone in the middle class.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    I fear that a rent freeze would not be enforceable, because HPD and HCR don't not have the resources to police the transactions.

    I also suspect that the practice of "yes, I will rent it to you at the rent established by HCR, but you must have excellent credit, and pay a $3000 Broker fee" will become even more widespread if enforcement is stepped up.

    Such practices effectively negate the outcomes many want to see from Rent Stabilization and DeBlasio:    A city in which people pay less than half of their income in rent, and is filled with people of a variety of social classes, hues, nationalities, etc.

     
  • Esperanza
    Esperanza
    There are tons of folks who are educated with tons of loans, who look high and low, and are unable to find a job. Much of what comes into this is the cultural capital a person has ie connections.

    An article was posted of a 25 year old woman in Crown Heights who bought an apartment. I bet she didn't do that on her own. Her folks (who had the financial capital) probably helped her.

    Many folks seeking affordable housing do not have family with the capital, monetarily or family background. This may be what is contributing the widening gaps, income, housing, educational, etc. Or America is simply becoming more and more of a oligarchy.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited May 2014

    Is this the woman you are thinking of?


    ....regardless of whether you are thinking her, I agree with everything you wrote.
  • Esperanza
    Esperanza
    Yup, that is the lady I mentioned. NYC is an interesting city with all that it has to deal with. Public schools being "integrated" (another great debate) and all the other things. Chicago is another city with its own share of issues (lived there for seven years).

    Another thing to consider is the long-term impact of loans on a family, just not the parents, but future generations. School loans impact the cultural-capital parents can pass on to kids. The loan system here in the US is going to have some interesting long-term ramifications.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited May 2014
    Do you think NYC property owners can be forced to remedy these issues?

    I believe that they will do anything (and everything) possible to get as close to possible to "full value"; the price that would be set by the intersection of supply and demand.

    ....Because I would do the same thing.
  • Esperanza
    Esperanza
    The US is a free market, from environment to housing. So, nope. I don't think anything can be forced. De Blasio can try, but good luck with that. I have lived in Latin America and Africa, enforcing anything is always a challenge, no matter what the country. Perhaps it simply boils down to human nature to want the "full value." Those that go against this policy might would be ridiculed, at least politely by others. And who wants to be the laughing stock?
  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy
    The point is, landlords cannot be the only ones to shoulder the burden because if they have to take out loans, they have to have the means to pay them back. Rents are the way they do that. No one in their right mind would buy a building to lose money or just break even.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited May 2014
    DeBlasio is certainly getting his butt kicked a lot during his first 6 months in office.

    1. Cuomo kicked it re: his pledge to stop Charter Schools.

    2. Cuomo, NYS DOH and SUNY are kicking it re: his pledge to keep LICH a full size hospital. 

    He now has his butt hanging out re: 

     3. Vision Zero and East River Tolls 

     4. Stopping Gentrification and Housing Cost Increases

    I give him better odds on item 3 than item 4.
  • tateinbk
    tateinbk
    I hope he also fails on 5. getting rid of the carriage horses.  Anyone who believes these horses are going to go to some happy farm with green grasses doesn't know enough about actual horse farms and horse rescues.  
  • pragmaticguy
    pragmaticguy
    I don't think he wants to stop gentrification. I just think he wants all apartments rent controlled so anyone can afford to live in them. But until the city can afford to stop devising ways to tax people it's not going to happen.
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    In theory, it could tax corporations more and people less.    

    I'm not sure which is more likely, ^that^ or repealing the one law that always gets in the way:

    The law of supply and demand.



     
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    This is where it gets really fraught ....when the landlords create amenities for the newly un-stabilized apartments or the tenants that are part of the "80" of 80/20 buildings:

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    This development is huge:


    And (by giving the landlords the increases), it shows that the state understands that placing a cap on the rents received by landlords only leads to displacement and neglect.

    ....someone has to pay to keep older, poor people in their homes.   The state has just stepped forward and admitted that they can not expect landlords to carry additional burdens, and stated that they will.


  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Pre-circus press:
    http://m.nydailynews.com/opinion/poor-tenants-hike-article-1.1811939
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    Video:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=rVIA5QLSZBI
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited June 2014
    The circus has reached a decision:

    The amount of the increase for 1 and 2 year leases is respectively 1% and 2.75%.    

    http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/23/nycs-rent-guidelines-board-to-vote-on-rent-freeze/ 

    See everyone next year!
  • southeast
    southeast
    And how does de Blasio feel about this?  Is he going to construe this as a win as well?
  • whynot_31
    whynot_31
    edited June 2014
    We will hear the spin in tomorrow's news.    However, being that he ran on a ZERO percent increase, this adds credence to those who believed he was over promising (ie pandering) on this issue in order to get elected.   

    It was successful pandering, but pandering nonetheless.

    Other issues included:

    1.    LICH staying a hospital (it had no chance of remaining a hospital, but earned him the endorsement of the the health care unions).

    2.    Stopping the expansion of charter schools (Ditto, no chance in the present climate, but earned him the endorsement of the teachers).

  • southeast
    southeast
    Add universal pre-k.
  • epiclylaterd
    epiclylaterd
    If I signed a two year lease last year, meaning I won't receive a lease renewal this year, am I s**t out of luck on the 1 and 2.75% increase this year? I feel like I already know the answer but putting it out there.
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