Kingston, NY–In response to the city of Kingston’s housing vacancy rate study results, which disqualified the city from establishing rent guidelines, Loriman Rhodell, Kingston resident and Citizen Action of New York board member, released the following statement:
“We will not accept the self-reported and unverified results from Kingston’s housing vacancy rate study as valid. A rate of 6.7% is questionably high and is contradictory to the information provided by tenants within these properties who reported noncompliance, widespread evictions and threats of rent increases throughout the process. As pointed out by Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, it was the city’s responsibility to require property owners to participate in the study and ensure the results are accurate.
It is imperative that City Council members and Mayor Noble take steps to ensure that this process was not corrupted by the same property developers who have fought back against this process since it began, and do everything in their power to expand tenants protections to their constituents who are struggling to find and maintain affordable housing. The renters of Kingston, and the state as a whole, will accept nothing less.”