Brooklyn residents rally ahead of rental guidelines meeting
The rally comes after the Rent Guidelines Board’s preliminary vote last month included a 0% increase option for both one- and two-year leases — marking the first time the board has considered freezing rents on two-year leases.
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Rent-stabilized tenants rallied in Downtown Brooklyn ahead of a rent guidelines hearing, calling for a rental freeze.
East Flatbush resident Patricia Walters says she's in favor of the freeze.
“They keep raising the rent for what? They’re not doing anything. All they’re doing is taking our money and not doing a thing to the apartments. We’re the ones who are suffering not the landlords," said Walters.
The rally comes after the Rent Guidelines Board’s preliminary vote last month included a 0% increase option for both one- and two-year leases — marking the first time the board has considered freezing rents on two-year leases.
Property owners at the rally were not in favor of the freeze. Humberto Lopes says owners' costs are going up too, and a freeze would have a negative impact on them.
“They’re gonna go broke. They’re not gonna have money. The repairs are gonna go down. The maintenance of the building is gonna go down," said Lopes.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso says he’s for a rent freeze, but that property owners’ needs should not be neglected.
“There’s more that brings us together here than not. Renters are struggling to pay rent, and owners struggling to pay mortgages and make ends meet. We need to be thinking about a comprehensive system that help everyone," said Reynoso.
The next hearings will be on June 16, before the final vote later this month.
