The Legal Aid Society is condemning a vote by the Red Guidelines Board that will increase rents for residents of stabilized apartments, lofts, and hotels by 3.25 percent for a one-year lease and 5 percent for a two-year lease.

“Tonight’s vote to increase rents on our most vulnerable neighbors is unconscionable, and many families will suffer as a result, said Adriene Holder, Chief Attorney of the Civil Practice at Legal Aid. “The Board ignored the countless cries from tenants, the majority of whom are from communities of color, across the boroughs who are barely scraping by, disproportionately affected financially by the pandemic and paying exorbitant costs for groceries, medical care and other essential needs.”

“We had hoped that Mayor Adams would have used his bully pulpit, as the previous occupant of City Hall had, to fight for a freeze, but that was wishful thinking given his appointment of known anti-tenant members to the Board, she continued. “So many New Yorkers will now become just another statistic, adding to the burgeoning local homeless population, and Board members must recognize that this unacceptable reality will play out in the days, weeks and months ahead.”