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Gotham
Gazette, May 26, 2005
Fighting For Control Of Rents
Since 1971, the State Legislature in Albany
- not the mayor and the City Council - has controlled the city's rent and
eviction laws.
This law, named after then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller's
housing commissioner, Charles Urstadt, has been the focus of housing
advocates for years, who argue that decisions affecting 2.4 million New
Yorkers living in rent controlled or rent stabilized apartments should be
made by city lawmakers.
The City Council passed a so-called "home rule message,"
which calls for the repeal of the Urstadt Law. While the measure holds no
legal power, it supports a state bill drafted by Senator Liz Krueger and
Assemblymember Vito Lopez, which would give city officials control over
rent and eviction regulations.
The three Republican members of the council -– James
Oddo, Andrew Lanza, and Dennis Gallagher -– voted against the measure.
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