QBP RICHARDS ON RENT GUIDELINES BOARD’S PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF RENT HIKES

(May 3, 2023 at 1:10pm)

QUEENS, NY – Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. stated the following in response to the Rent Guidelines Board’s preliminary vote on Tuesday, May 2 to support rent raises of up to 5 percent for one-year leases and up to 7 percent for two-year leases.

“Queens and all of New York City are in the throes of a housing crisis unlike any we’ve experienced before, all while the number of families in our homeless shelters and the overall cost of living — from food prices to utility bills to transportation costs and beyond — continues to rise rapidly,” said Borough President RICHARDS. “Such steep proposed rent increases are nothing more than a slap in the face to hard-working New Yorkers who are already struggling to put food on the table or keep a roof over their heads.

“A second straight year of dramatic rent hikes is not only untenable, but it is antithetical to the values of our city,” added Borough President RICHARDS. “And it is further proof that there is no mission more critical at this moment than rapidly and dramatically growing our affordable housing stock. I am deeply proud of the work my office is doing to bring more affordable housing to communities from Astoria to Arverne, but we cannot afford to undue that progress with proposed rent raises like these. Queens needs the Rent Guidelines Board to be a partner, not an impediment, in keeping our borough affordable for all.”

Follow the Office of the Queens Borough President via @QnsBPRichards on Twitter and @QueensBPRichards on Facebook and Instagram

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