Rent stabilization typically limits the amount that rent can go up every year—but a newly appointed rent guidelines board in Kingston, New York took it a step further.
Kingston, New York, a small city 90 minutes from Manhattan, has become an unexpected trailblazer in rent stabilization policy. Facing rapidly rising housing costs that saw median rents jump 46.1 percent in just a few years, Kingston took the unprecedented step of becoming the first municipality in New York outside of New York City and its neighboring counties to opt into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). This decision, made possible by the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, allowed Kingston to implement rent stabilization measures in response to its growing housing affordability crisis.
The path to rent stabilization in Kingston highlights the crucial role of accurate data in urban policy decisions. An initial vacancy survey showing a 6.7 percent rate nearly derailed the effort, as it exceeded the 5 percent threshold required to declare a housing emergency. However, grassroots organizers pushed for a more thorough, city-conducted survey, which revealed a stark 1.57 percent vacancy rate. This finding not only enabled Kingston to proceed with rent stabilization but also exposed the severity of the city's housing shortage, challenging conventional methods of assessing housing needs.
In a move that has sent ripples through the state's housing policy landscape, Kingston's Rent Guidelines Board ordered a 15 percent rent reduction for stabilized units - the first such reduction in New York State history. The board also declared that any rent increase exceeding 16 percent between January 2019 and July 2022 constituted an overcharge, empowering tenants to seek refunds. While these decisions face ongoing legal challenges from landlord associations, they represent a significant shift in the approach to tenant protections and affordable housing policy.
See the source article to learn more about how they did it.
FULL STORY: Kingston Agreed the Rent Was Too Damn High—So It Lowered It
In Upstate New York, the Fight for ‘Good Cause’ Continues
This week, Ithaca became the latest city to opt into New York’s new Good Cause Eviction Law. What are tenant organizers doing to make the law work better for their communities?
Proposed Bill Would Strengthen California’s Renter Protections
The bill would improve on the 2019 Tenant Protection Act by further limiting rent increases and adding more eviction protections for California renters.
L.A. Tenants Hit With Sudden Rent Hikes Under 'Discounted Rent' Loophole
A legal loophole has allowed some Los Angeles landlords to sharply raise rents on apartments that would otherwise fall under the city's rent stabilization ordinance and pandemic-related rent freeze.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont