TESTIMONY
Sarah Hainbach, Attorney at Legal Services NYC, on Rent Stabilization and the Housing Emergency in New York City
1:56:55
·
177 sec
Sarah Hainbach discusses the dire consequences of unregulated housing and the significant benefits of rent stabilization in New York City.
- Hainbach highlights the lack of protections for tenants in unregulated housing, leading to potential eviction and drastic rent increases.
- She shares a specific case of assisting a mourning widow in rent-stabilized housing, illustrating the system's positive impact on tenants' stability and rights.
- Hainbach points out that regulated tenants have better access to repair services and rent freeze programs, benefiting elderly or disabled individuals.
- She emphasizes the need for New York City to not only preserve its existing rent-regulated housing but also to generate more affordable and rent-regulated units to address the housing crisis.
Sarah Hainbach
1:56:55
Good afternoon.
1:56:56
My name is Sarah Hainbeck, and I'm also an attorney with Legal Services NYC's housing unit.
1:57:01
I appreciate the opportunity to testify on rent stabilization as it relates to the ongoing housing emergency in New York City.
1:57:08
Where I work in Queens, countless clients live in unregulated housing.
1:57:12
For these tenants, nothing stops their landlords from deciding that they don't want to offer a renewal lease.
1:57:18
Similarly, landlords of unregulated units are entitled to increase the rent by 100 or 1000 of dollars.
1:57:25
As lawyers, we are limited in what we can do to advocate for unregulated tenants.
1:57:30
I cannot count the number of times I've said to a client Unfortunately, because your apartment is unregulated, your landlord can decide not to renew your lease.
1:57:39
It is frustrating to have to explain again and again that while we may be able to negotiate for more time to move or to lower the amount of arrears claimed, ultimately, the tenant has no long term right.
1:57:50
To remain in unregulated housing.
1:57:53
I've also seen on the flip side the positive impact that rent stabilization can have on my clients' lives.
1:57:59
For example, I worked with a morning widow whose name was never on the lease to gather documents that proved her relationship to her deceased husband and their co residency so that we could obtain a renewal lease in her name for the same amount of rent.
1:58:14
In an unregulated apartment, whether a spouse is allowed to stay after the death of their partner would be up to the landlord.
1:58:21
And even if a landlord were willing to allow the tenant to stay, they would likely use the occasion to draw up a new lease with an increased rent.
1:58:28
In this widow's case, however, she and her 3 children were entitled to remain in their long term home allowing some stability in the midst of mourning their husband and father.
1:58:39
Tenants of rent stabilized units also have more avenues to push for repairs.
1:58:43
Only regulated tenants can report conditions to DHCR, which sends inspectors to confirm a tenant's complaint and can impose a rent freeze.
1:58:52
Which can only be lifted after the landlord completes repairs, incentivizing owners to maintain their properties.
1:58:59
Another benefit that rent regulated tenants enjoy is the ability to enroll in Department of Finance Programs that freeze the rents of some of the most vulnerable rent regulated tenants.
1:59:09
Those who are elderly or disabled and have an annual income of less than 50,000.
1:59:13
The program works by giving property owners a tax benefit equaling the difference between the frozen rent amount and the increase that would otherwise be allowable.
1:59:22
So landlords continue to raise the rent, but tenants rent burdens remain the same.
1:59:26
This can be life changing for tenants on a fixed income who cannot afford even a modest rent increase when the public benefits they live off of stay the same.
1:59:34
These benefits, however, are only available to regulated tenants.
1:59:38
Countless New Yorkers rely on rent regulations protections every day.
1:59:43
New York City needs not only to preserve the existing rent regulated housing stock, but also to create an infusion of new affordable and rent regulated housing.
1:59:52
Thank you.