Senator Espaillat Highlights Push to Extend Rent Regulations

Senate Democrats release new video demonstrating urgency on rent regulations issues

 (New York, NY) – Today, Senate Democrats released an important video about the need to extend and strengthen rent regulations. The powerful video features Senator Adriano Espaillat and other advocates of rent regulations in the Senate, as well as everyday tenants who would be devastated if rent regulations are allowed to expire on June 15^th.

 “Over a million families in New York City, including nearly 79,000 in my district, would be devastated if we let the clock run out on regulations," said Senator Adriano Espaillat, the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Housing Committee. "Extending and strengthening rent regulations is the single most important thing our government can do right now to stabilize New York through these tough times and make sure millions of New Yorkers are not squeezed out of their homes.”

 To watch the video, titled “525,600 minutes” click here.

Fe Florimon, a Washington Heights resident and a constituent of Senator Espaillat appeared in the video, a portion of which was shot outside her home. “I’ve been living in this building for almost 30 years. I raised my children here,” said Florimon, calling the potential loss of rent regulations “a tremendous problem” for her community.

Between 1994 and 2010, over 300,000 units of affordable housing were removed from rent regulation. Now, over one million units of affordable housing face immediate and irreparable deregulation on June 15^th if rent regulations are not extended and expanded. The massive rent hikes that would come from the expiration of rent regulations amount to a “tenant tax” that will force middle class families, including thousands of seniors and the disabled, from their homes.

 Senator Espaillat has sponsored sweeping rent regulations legislation (S. 2783-A) which will not only extend rent laws, but also close gaping loopholes that allow landlords to raise rents unfairly.

 In addition to the video release, Senate Democrats launched an online petition drive to encourage all New Yorkers to stop the “tenant tax” and join the fight for their homes. The petition can be signed at http://bit.ly/rentregpetition.