Queens tenants rallied during the Rent Guidelines Board hearing on June 4.
Courtesy Tousif Ahsan
Over 100 Queens tenants demanded a rent rollback during the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) hearing on June 4 after rallying outside of the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, where the hearing was held. They said they were “furious” at the idea of a rent hike, which the RGB is currently deliberating on.
The demands of organizations like the Queens Tenant Coalition (QTC) and the Rent Justice Coalition were made clear, tenants said — that the rent is “too damn high,” and tenants need a rent rollback to survive.
The board, which consists of nine members, six of whom are appointed by the mayor, listened to testimony of tenants organizing for a rent rollback across Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Flushing and Jamaica.
Tenants testified in English, Spanish, Bangla, Korean and Chinese, chanting “Rent rollback now!” in between speakers.
According to Spectrum News, the RGB is deliberating on an increase between 0% and 2% for one-year leases and 0% and 4% for two-year leases.
“Eric Adams raised our rent, give us back our 12%,” tenants shouted as they made their way into the auditorium, referencing the 12.6% increase in rent-stabilized rents that occurred during the Eric Adams administration.
Tenants said this increase forced them to choose between necessities like medication and groceries or paying their rent on time.
Throughout the hearing, tenants detailed concerns such as rent burdens of 55% or more of their monthly gross income, years of neglect and reports of landlords harassing tenants. They also raised questions about where their rent checks go each month.
“Our wages are not increasing, while the costs of living are,” said Jeanette Echeverria, an A&E tenant and member of the QTC. “Meanwhile, the income made by these slumlords has increased 30% over the past 3 years and because they won’t open their books, the Board doesn’t know how much profit they’re making.”
Elder tenants, such as Doug Ostling, a member of QTC, spoke about the “impossible” challenge of making rent on a fixed income in the face of rent hikes.
“Over 40% of my social security goes to rent,” Ostling said. “Every month I have to juggle household expenses and choose between my medical prescriptions, paying rent and putting food on the table… raising [the rent] further would put me in a cardboard box.”