Rent decreases demanded by tenants groups under new Kingston law

The charge is being led by For The Many, an activist nonprofit that recently campaigned for Sarahana Shrestha, an Ulster County climate activist who won the Democratic primary in an upset over incumbent Assemblyman Kevin Cahill this past summer. The nonprofit is being joined in the effort by Citizen Action of New York and the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, according to For the Many.

For the Many Communications Lead Aaron Narraph Fernando said the rent control board could continue the good work of the city’s Common Council, which voted 7 to 1 to declare a housing emergency after the vacancy study.

“We’re asking (the board) members to adopt a historic rent reduction, the first of its kind in the state. This would help the residents of nearly 1,300 newly-rent stabilized units afford to live in Kingston and stay in their homes. Greedy landlords can’t be allowed to continue pricing us out—it’s essential that when the nine (rent control board) members vote next month, they vote to ‘Reduce Kingston’s Rents,'” according to Fernando’s statement.