NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The Rent Guidelines Board is getting closer to voting on whether rent-stabilized tenants will get a rent increase or not.
Meanwhile, dozens of people rallied outside the RGB’s Manhattan hearing Tuesday evening, saying 300,000 rent-stabilized tenants in Manhattan would benefit from a rent freeze.
The RGB is expected to vote on June 30th.
“Here to stay and here to fight,” chanted dozens of rent-stabilized tenants. But it wasn’t just about rent.
“I come from an immigrant household. We are seeing a lot of threats when it comes to housing, and there is a lot of uncertainty right now in the city, and we need to protect immigrants,” said Jonathan Lam.
According to the Rent Justice Coalition, about half of all units in Manhattan are rent-stabilized, and many of the residents are working-class immigrants.
Like Huaying XIE, who told us through a translator that as a home care worker who lives in Chinatown with her husband, she struggles to pay her current rent. She worries she won’t have a roof over her head if it goes up any higher.
“Displacements for tenants will come if they continue to increase rent in our communities,” said Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa.
“I grew up in a rent-stabilized apartment, we are a community of middle-class New Yorkers, and we won’t let the mayor raise our rents,” added Councilmember Keith Powers.
If approved, rent will increase between 3.75% and 7.75% more for two-year leases, or 1.75% to 4.75% more for one-year leases starting in October
The next RGB public hearing meeting will be held on June 27th in Lower Manhattan.
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