By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CITY HALL — In the face of potential threats to rent stabilization and rent control rules set to expire in June, city officials and advocates are gearing up to back new legislation proposed by State Sen. Adriano Espaillat that would strengthen and extend housing protections.
Several state senators, Assembly and City Council members along with numerous tenant and housing advocate groups are expected to join Espaillat on the stairs of City Hall Thursday at 1 p.m. to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include the tenant protection bill in this fiscal year’s state budget.
Bill S.2783 would repeal vacancy destabilization and reregulate most of the 300,000 apartments that have been deregulated since 1994. It would also extend rent control until 2016.
The bill would also allow former Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 buildings to fall under rent stabilization.
"Raising rents on middle-class and poor families that are already struggling in this tough economy is tantamount to a crushing tax that will drive New Yorkers from their homes," said Espaillat, the ranking member of the Senate Housing committee.
Espaillat represents State Senate District 31, which includes parts of the Upper West Side, Inwood, Washington Heights and Riverdale in the Bronx.
The governor's office did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
