Richardson leads fight for housing legislation
Richardson said the New
York State Legislature has
“fought for years to bring
power back into the hands of
the people, when it comes to
housing.
“The historic measures we
passed were made possible due
to the ongoing efforts of families,
residents, tenant advocacy
groups and community leaders,
who fought alongside a united
Democratic Legislature,” she
said. “Our hopes for this housing
package to change the lives
of everyday New Yorkers will
become reality, once the governor
signs these reforms into
law.”
Richardson said the new legislation
makes the rent regulation
system permanent, “so
they will not sunset at any time
in the future without an act of
the Legislature to repeal or terminate
them.”
The measure also repeals
the provisions that allow the
removal of units from rent stabilization
when the rent crosses
a statutory high-rent threshold
and the unit becomes vacant or
the tenant’s income is $200,000
or higher in the preceding two
years.
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By Nelson A. King
Brooklyn Assemblywoman,
Diana C. Richardson says
she hass led the fight for “a
monumental legislative package”
with the New York State
Assembly in addressing housing
reform and strengthening
tenant protection throughout
New York State.
“This long-awaited package
encompasses historical affordable
housing legislation to combat
unfair housing practices for
all New Yorkers,” said Richardson,
the daughter of St. Martin
and Aruban immigrants, who
represents the 43rd Assembly
District in Brooklyn.
“We are in a state of emergency
with our current housing
crisis in New York City,
where hardworking tenants
are living beyond their financial
capacity to maintain a roof
over their head, due to the
lack of affordable housing,” she
added. “Central Brooklyn has
the second highest rate of evictions
throughout the State of
New York, and this package
will help protect our struggling
communities and ensure families
are not forced out of their
homes.”
Caribbean L 22 ife, June 21–27, 2019 BQ
Richardson said previous
provisions led to the deregulation
of more than 300,000
units since they were first
passed in 1994.
The legislation limits the use
of the “owner use” provision to
a single unit, requires that the
owner or their immediate family
use the unit as their primary
residence, and protects
long-term tenants from eviction
under this exception by
reducing the current length of
tenancy required to be protected
from eviction to 15 years.
In addition, Richardson said
the legislation limits the temporary
non-profit exception to
rent stabilization by requiring
units to remain rent-stabilized
if they are provided to individuals
who are or were homeless or
are at risk of homelessness.
It also provides individuals
permanently or temporarily
housed by nonprofits status
as tenants while ensuring that
units used for these purposes
remain rent stabilized.
Additionally, Richardson
said the housing legislation,
among other things, repeals
the “vacancy bonus” provision
that allows a property owner to
raise rents as much as 20 percent
each time a unit becomes
vacant; repeals the “longevity
bonus” provision that allows
rents to be raised by additional
amounts based on the duration
of the previous tenancy; and
prohibits local Rent Guidelines
Boards from reinstating vacancy
bonus on their own.
Brooklyn Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-20th SD), who led the housing
fi ght in the Senate, and Assemblywoman Diana C. Richardson
(D-43rd AD), who led the fi ght in the Assembly.
Offi ce of Assemblywoman Diana C. Richardson