The court ruled against landlords challenging the city’s rent stabilization laws as unconstitutional. The landlords plan to take their case to the Supreme Court.
A federal appeals court sided with New York City tenants in two cases that jeopardized rent stabilization rules enacted in 2019, reports Mike Leonard in Bloomberg Law. “The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld amendments to the New York City Rent Stabilization Law, saying they complied with due process and the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment, which requires the government to pay fair market value when it seizes property for a public purpose.”
Judge Barrington D. Parker acknowledged the argument made by many economists that rent control laws are inefficient at achieving their goals, but wrote that “the caselaw is exceptionally clear that legislatures enjoy broad authority to regulate land use.” The judge rejected arguments that a rent control law constitutes a physical or regulatory taking. “He also rejected the due process claims, saying rent stabilization rules—whether wise or not—have a direct link to the concerns lawmakers were seeking to address, such as homelessness, transience, and the displacement of low-income residents, including essential workers.”
The landlord groups involved in the case plan to take it to the Supreme Court, saying through a spokesperson, “We always expected these issues to be decided by the Supreme Court and look forward to moving the case forward.”
FULL STORY: NYC Rent Stabilization Rules Beat Challenges by Landlords
Washington Lawmakers Eye Rent Stabilization
Democrats are pushing for a statewide rent stabilization bill that would give renters some protections while offering more flexibility for landlords than blanket rent control policies.
Colorado Rent Control Bill Back in the House
A bill that would allow Colorado cities to enact rent stabilization policies is under discussion again, with some tweaks.
New York City Approves Rent Hikes on Rent-Stabilized Apartments
The rent increases, which the Rent Guidelines Board deemed necessary to support “mom and pop” landlords, will affect two million residents.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)