“Although the Rent Guidelines Board vote on Monday is a first step in the right direction for our City by keeping the increase to a historic minimum it does not go far enough. It is therefore vital to offer more relief to the poor and middle-class of our City, given how many residents are struggling and have not seen their own paychecks increase over the past few years.
“In the future, in order to address the city’s growing income inequality, we should consider a rent freeze combined with a property tax decrease so that the people of this city have more money in their pockets, while also providing relief to property and home owners. The city needs to work to do more to diversify its housing stock not just by creating opportunities for low and middle-income housing but also developing greater chances for homeownership. New York City should be a place everyone can afford to live in and we should utilize every opportunity to preserve affordability for all New Yorkers,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.