The laws cover nearly 167,000 apartments in…
By Philip Newman
Although rent controls have a year to run, the state Assembly has begun a campaign to make an election year issue of the regulations that affect millions of residents in Queens and the other boroughs.
The laws cover nearly 167,000 apartments in Queens.
The Assembly passed a bill Monday that would extend rent controls until the year 2008 and abolish a part of the rent laws that tenant advocates contend has allowed landlords unfairly to decontrol thousands of apartments.
State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) introduced a bill in the Republican-controlled Senate to extend rent regulations.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver urged passage, saying it would keep New York City residents from “having their lives turned upside down” by putting rent regulations in jeopardy. Silver said New York City residents did not deserve such a threat of uncertainty, particularly when most had yet to recover from the attacks on the World Trade Center.
“We must preserve what affordable housing we can preserve,” Silver said.
The drive by assembly Democrats on behalf of rent regulations comes as no coincidence. It is intended to exert pressure on Gov. George Pataki and senate Republicans in an election year rather in 2003, after the election.
The Assembly, besides extending rent regulations, also abolished a part of the law allowing a landlord to deregulate any apartment if the rent rises to $2,000, a figure tenant advocates say is too easily reached through renovating an apartment.
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer), who led a campaign to end rent regulation several years ago, said of the Assembly’s legislation:
“It’s unfortunate that the speaker appears more concerned with a deadline that is over a year away than the budget deadline that passed more than two weeks ago.” Bruno was referring to the state budget, passage of which is late as usual.
Some Democrats and most tenant advocates have long said much of the housing shortage and homelessness in New York City is the result of decontrol of thousands of apartments following the weakening of rent laws over the past decade.
Nearly 1.1 million apartments are under rent regulation in New York City.
The state Division of Housing and Community Renewal said 156,958 apartments are under rent stabilization and about 10,000 apartments under rent control in Queens.
