New Yorkers to weigh in on rent hike freeze proposal at public hearing
QUEENS (WABC) -- New York City residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on the possibility of a rent hike freeze - one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's biggest campaign promises.
Eyewitness News reported last month that the Rent Guidelines Board preliminarily voted for a range of hikes for New York City's rent-stabilized apartments with a possible rent freeze on the table.
Members of the board submitted seven "yes" votes, one "no," and one abstention, for a 0-2% increase for one-year leases, and 0-4% for two-year leases, a decision that didn't seem to make either side happy.
The motion, the first preliminary vote on whether New Yorkers will see increases for rent-stabilized apartments or if rents will freeze, drew boos and groans from tenants and landlords following the vote as the raucous crowd drowned out the Rent Guidelines Board.
The mayor is encouraging his supporters, including those who mobilized his mayoral campaign, to "make their voices heard and speak directly to what this housing crisis looks like in their lives" at these meetings. If that happens, he said he is "confident the board will...arrive at a decision...that reflects the urgency of this moment."
The hearing starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. A final decision on a rent freeze is expected on June 25.
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