Joselyn has lived in a rent-stabilized apartment in the Bronx for 11 years. Like many renters due to the pandemic, she has found it difficult to pay her rent.
Joselyn applied to the ERAP program and was only paid part of her debt.
You now have 5 months of back rent.
“Your rent is increased in addition to what you have in arrears, how are we going to deal with that? We don’t know,” said Joselyn Gómez, a tenant and activist.
Joselyn is a member of the CASA Organization, which advocates for tenants’ rights in New York.
Together with different groups of activists and politicians from the five boroughs, Joselyn participated in a protest against a possible increase from 2 to 9 percent in the stabilized rent.
Joselyn.
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“We are going to stop it wherever it wants because nine percent is a very unfair increase and we need a rent reduction,” said Joselyn.
The board that establishes rental prices suggests an increase of 3 to 5 percent for one-year contracts, while for 2-year contracts it could increase to 9 percent. The nine members of the board are appointed by the mayor.
Some members of this board who do not agree with this decision came to protest. They await the preliminary hearing this coming May 5.
“We want to ‘freeze’ (freeze) the rent for everyone in New York this year, it would be zero percent for everyone who lives in stabilized rent,” said Sheila García, of the Rent Generation Board.
In New York City, more than 2 million people live in rent-stabilized apartments. Faced with this uncertain situation, some politicians say that it is very important that tenants approach their representatives in the community.
“Because this board has to listen to the voices of tenants, it has to understand the fight that is the housing fight,” said Jackson Heights and Elmhurst Councilmember Shekar Krishnan.
The final decision on rent increase or decrease will be announced at the end of June.
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