City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren
submitted legislation today to City Council to add a rental vacancy study to an
existing agreement with consultants Northeast & Bucks Co. to make updates
to the City’s housing plans as informed by the Rochester 2034 Comprehensive
Plan. The rental vacancy study will determine the City’s eligibility to opt in
to rent stabilization.
“Access to safe, healthy and affordable housing was
identified in Rochester 2034 as a critical component to creating jobs, safer
neighborhoods, and better educational opportunities for our residents,” said
Mayor Warren. “This study is the required first step to determine our City’s
eligibility to explore rent stabilization. We will continue conversations with
all of our residents, including City-wide Tenants Union, landlords, and other
stakeholders, to build upon our successful efforts to provide residents with
safe and affordable housing.”
Earlier this year, New York State enacted the Housing
Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which expanded the ability to opt
in to rent stabilization under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974
(ETPA) to all municipalities throughout the state.
Previously, the only municipalities outside of New York
City that were able to opt in were those located in Nassau, Rockland and
Westchester counties. In order to opt in to rent stabilization, municipalities
must declare a housing emergency, which is defined in the ETPA as a rental
vacancy rate of less than five percent in the housing stock that will be
regulated.
The first step in determining if Rochester has a level of
vacancy sufficient under the ETPA to allow implementation of rent stabilization
is completing a rental vacancy study. Under the law, it is the responsibility
of municipalities to fund a study of their housing accommodations to determine
the existence of an emergency under the ETPA.
More information about the ETPA can be found through New
York State Homes and Community Renewal: https://hcr.ny.gov/
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News media: For more information contact Press Officer
Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.