Rashida Akter: Tenant advocates and community organizations gathered in Queens on Thursday to demand a rent freeze for hundreds of thousands of rent-stabilized residents, arguing that rising housing costs are pushing working-class and immigrant families deeper into financial hardship.
The rally and public hearing took place at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center as part of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board’s (RGB) borough hearing process. Tenant groups urged the mayor-appointed board to approve a full rent freeze on both one-year and two-year rent-stabilized leases when it holds its final vote on June 25.
Organizers say the stakes are particularly high for Queens, where more than 440,000 rent-stabilized tenants could benefit from a rent freeze. Citywide, approximately 2.4 million residents live in rent-stabilized housing.
Participants carried multilingual signs and banners reading “Rent Freeze,” “No Increases on All Leases,” “Freeze the Rent, Melt the ICE,” and “Please Don’t Feed the Vultures.” Demonstrators also displayed symbolic “vulture landlord” masks to protest what they described as predatory property owners.
Tenant advocates argue that New Yorkers are facing mounting financial pressures, including rising food prices, healthcare costs, and economic uncertainty. Many immigrant families, particularly in Queens, are also grappling with concerns over increased immigration enforcement activities.
“The current economic reality does not justify another rent increase,” organizers said. “Many families are already struggling to pay for necessities, and higher rents could push thousands closer to displacement.”
The Rent Guidelines Board determines annual rent adjustments for the city’s rent-stabilized apartments. Earlier this year, the board’s preliminary vote included a proposed 0 percent increase for both one-year and two-year leases, opening the possibility of the first comprehensive rent freeze in New York City history.
Housing advocates say the proposal comes after several years of rent increases. They contend that while rents have risen repeatedly, many tenants continue to face poor building conditions, inadequate maintenance, heating problems, and delayed repairs.
According to tenant organizations, some landlords have failed to reinvest rental income into building improvements while continuing to seek higher rents. Advocates also allege that some tenants have faced eviction threats and intimidation, creating additional stress for
vulnerable households.
The demonstration was organized by the New York State Tenant Bloc in partnership with several housing advocacy groups, including CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), and the Met Council on Housing.
Organizers also pointed to concerns about potential reductions in federal social safety-net programs, including Medicaid, SNAP food assistance, housing support, childcare assistance, and other services that many low-income families depend upon.
Tenant advocates noted that many rent-stabilized households are living paycheck to paycheck. They say more than half of rent-stabilized tenants struggle to cover monthly expenses, while many families lack emergency savings.
A recent analysis by the Community Service Society estimated that a citywide rent freeze could save New Yorkers up to $7 billion annually, averaging nearly $600 per month for affected households. Polling cited by organizers suggests that approximately 78 percent of New Yorkers support a rent freeze.
Supporters argue that rent stabilization was originally designed to protect working-class New Yorkers from displacement and housing insecurity. Nearly 37 percent of very low-income households in New York City live in rent-stabilized housing.
During Thursday’s hearing, tenants shared personal stories about rising living costs, housing affordability, and the challenges of remaining in the city they call home. Organizers hope the testimony will influence the Rent Guidelines Board ahead of its final vote later this month.
For many tenants, the issue extends beyond housing policy. They see a rent freeze as a necessary measure to help working families remain in New York amid an ongoing affordability crisis and growing economic uncertainty.
