CITY COUNCIL SET TO RENEW RENT CONTROLS

[jot0n0]

Article in today's NY Post

CITY COUNCIL SET TO RENEW RENT CONTROLS
By FRANKIE EDOZIEN and KENNETH LOVETT
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March 12, 2003 -- The city's rent-regulation laws - which expire next month - cleared the first step to renewal yesterday.
The City Council's Housing and Buildings Committee voted yesterday to extend the regulations until 2006.

The 9-1 vote is expected to be ratified by the full council today. The committee also voted to ask Albany to give more housing control to the city.

According to state law, rent controls can only be extended if the citywide vacancy rate is below 5 percent. City Council officials said it is far below 5 percent.

Council member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) said she was proud to vote for measures that aims to solve "perhaps one of the city's worst problem, the provision of affordable housing."

Council member Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) said, "It's critical that we maintain our city and make it affordable for those of us that need to live in the city and work in the city and cannot afford to commute."

The lone holdout was Council member James Oddo (R-S.I.).

"I have some serious doubts as to the benefit of these regulations for lower- and middle-income folks outside of Manhattan, in the outer boroughs, and I would respectfully differ," the Republican leader said

[MikeW]

This is a non-event. The City Council always renews the rent laws.

The real drama comes out of Albany in June.