On Affordable Housing: Keith Wright

Q: What do you believe is the best way to fix the housing affordability crisis in New York City?

KW: Since I live in my same old rent-stabilized apartment, I take this issue very personally. The best way to keep housing affordable is to put in some real anti-harassment provisions. We have some unscrupulous landlords that will take advantage and take some of our most vulnerable tenants to court for frivolous actions. So I think it’s important that we put some real anti-harassment provisions in and rent regulations and, in addition, we need to get rid of vacancy decontrol. Along with that, we have to get rid of what they call preferential rent, as well.

Q: There are several rent regulation laws and a key developer tax credit, 421-a, set to expire in June. How do you believe these negotiations will play out in the state Legislature?

KW: With the new situation that’s going on in the (state) Senate now, (Senate Republicans) really don’t have an incentive to negotiate. People say that 421-a is important to them, but you’ve got to remember there are only two members in their conference that actually are affected by rent regulations and they’re both from Staten Island, which doesn’t have a lot of rent-regulated apartments. So with the upheaval going on in the Senate and having gone through an upheaval (in the Assembly) it remains to be seen.

Q: The expiring rent regulations and 421-a tax break tend to dominate the housing conversation. Are there other issues you’d like to confront before the end of session?

KW: As the song goes, ‘ain’t nothing going on but the rent.’ I would say easily about 90 percent of the constituent complaints that come into my office concern housing. Until we can come to some agreement, some sort of decent legislation evening up the scales of justice, you really can’t discuss those other things until we get rent stabilization and 421-a done.