Its Time to Start Making Our Own Rules!

Home rule, or self government, is the right of a locality to make laws addressing local problems!

Background   

Prior to 1971, NYC had home rule over rent and eviction protections covering more than one million rent regulated apartments.  In 1971, NYC’s home rule was taken away by the “Urstadt law” pushed by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (and named for his housing commissioner).  Since then, the state legislature has repeatedly weakened the rent laws, particularly in 1997 and 2003.  NYC’s affordability crisis worsens each year:  we now suffer record levels of homelessness; elderly rent controlled tenants face 7.5% increases each year; and tens of thousands of subsidized apartments are lost each year. With home rule restored, the city council could strengthen rent and eviction laws, and protect additional units such as those losing Mitchell-Lama, Section 8 or Rent Stabilization protection.

How can Home Rule be achieved and what would that accomplish?

Home rule can only be restored by the state legislature.  The New York City Council has passed, and will pass again, a Home Rule Message asking the state legislature to repeal the Urstadt Law. There are bills in the state legislature which would repeal the Urstadt law (S1673/A4069 Liz Krueger/Vito Lopez et al), but the Republican (and real estate) controlled Senate will not pass the bill. What do we need to get this bill passed? A campaign on the State Senate (see our Real Rent Reform Campaign) and pressure on Mayor Michael Bloomberg (who does not support home rule).

Will this ever happen?

Sooner than you think! While the Democratic majority in the state assembly has passed a bill to restore home rule to the city every session, the pro-landlord Republican majority has killed it in the state senate.  Things are changing in Albany, though — and 2008 might be the year that Republicans lose the Senate.  Republicans hold a narrow 3 seat majority now, but a number of them face serious challenges in the elections scheduled for November 4, 2008. While Governor Eliot Spitzer does not support home rule, he has indicated that he supports the rent laws (but not with much enthusiasm). The new Spitzer administration will have to be pushed, as well as the Democrats in the State Senate and in the Assembly.

Source: Met Housing