STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a series of challenges to rent-stabilization laws in New York Tuesday, and two of the state’s top elected officials applauded that decision.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams issued separate statements praising the court for its decision not to hear challenges from landlord groups against New York’sRent Stabilization Law and the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
“Our rent stabilization laws, which were first passed nearly six decades ago and reaffirmed consistently by lower courts since, remain some of our state’s most powerful tools to fight inequality, preserve affordability, and keep New Yorkers safely housed in their own communities,” Hochul said. “As governor, I will continue doing everything in my power to ensure these laws are protected.”
Almost half of the apartments in the five boroughs are rent stabilized providing tenants protection from exorbitant rent increases, according to the mayor’s office.
Each year, the city’s Rent Guidelines Board decides a percentage for which rent can be increased on rent stabilized units, and Adams said the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the cases will help protect tenant protections.
“For 50 years, rent stabilization has kept rents affordable for millions of New Yorkers and their families. Today, tenants can breathe a sigh of relief,” the mayor said. “As this administration tackles the city’s affordability crisis from all angles, we remain committed to defending New York’s rent stabilization laws so tenants can afford to stay in their homes and communities.”
The latest Supreme Court decision followed a series of victories for the laws as courts have upheld their legitimacy as they fall under the government’s ability to regulate land use.
However, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a statement with the court’s decision leaving the door open to future possible challenges.
“The…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply