- Filed (End of Session)
History
Res. No. 30
Resolution calling on the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the New York City Rent Guidelines Board to work together to provide notice by mail of the dates, times and locations of all public meetings of the Rent Guidelines Board to all tenants of rent-stabilized housing in New York City.
By Council Members Williams, Levin, Levine, Richards, Johnson, Reynoso, Mendez and Menchaca
Whereas, According to the 2011 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey, approximately 45.4 percent of New York City's total rental stock is rent-stabilized; and
Whereas, Under § 26-510(b) of the Administrative Code of the City of New York (Administrative Code), the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) is charged with determining the maximum level of annual rent adjustments for rent-stabilized housing; and
Whereas, The RGB's rent-adjustment decision affects approximately one million New Yorkers whose housing is rent-stabilized; and
Whereas, Section 26-510(h) of the Administrative Code requires the RGB to "hold a public hearing or hearings for the purpose of collecting information" before setting the maximum adjustment of rents; and
Whereas, In 2013 the RGB eliminated the public hearing that has historically been held in the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens, citing a trend of decreased attendance at public hearings; and
Whereas, Notice of RGB meetings and hearings is available through its website, the media and other sources, but is not provided directly to tenants of rent-stabilized housing; and
Whereas, Directly providing tenants of rent-stabilized housing with advance notice of RGB meetings, especially those meetings at which public testimony will be taken, would help those tenants stay informed about the rent-adjustment process and help ensure that tenants who wish to testify before the RGB are able to do so; and
Whereas, The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal administers the registration of rent-stabilized apartments, including maintaining a list of those apartments; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls on the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the New York City Rent Guidelines Board to work together to provide notice by mail of the dates, times and locations of all public meetings of the Rent Guidelines Board to all tenants of rent-stabilized housing in New York City.
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LS# 2991
Cr-11/25/2013 Sv-12/6/2013 2:54 PM