De Blasio names new members of rent board | Waccabuc Real Estate
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has promised a more tenant-friendly administration, appointed five new members to the city board that sets rents for the approximately 1 million apartments across the city that are subject to the Rent Stabilization law.
Mr. de Blasio named Sarah Williams Willard as an owners' representative to the Rent Guidelines Board, Cecilia Joza and Steven Flax as public members, and Sheila Garcia as a tenant representative. The mayor also re-appointed current tenants' representative Harvey Epstein to the board.
Mr. de Blasio announced the appointments Thursday morning in advance of the board's first public meeting of his administration.
Ms. Joza is currently the housing counseling program director at Mutual Housing Association of New York, a not-for-profit housing organization that owns and manages more than 1,200 affordable rental apartments in New York. Mr. Flax is a vice president of community reinvestment at M&T Bank, where he oversees community development lending for the bank.
Ms. Willard has held positions at Prudential Capital, CarrAmerica and Greenfield Partners, where her responsibilities included debt origination, development modeling and acquisitions. She currently works at Hudson Companies as a senior project manager, where she is responsible for managing the company’s activities on Roosevelt Island.
Ms. Garcia, one of the tenants' representatives, is a community organizer at CASA New Settlement, a not-for-profit, mixed-income housing and community-service organization in the Bronx. Mr. Epstein, who was also re-appointed as a tenants' representative, is project director of the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center.
Prior to his election as mayor, Mr. de Blasio was a vocal advocate for a rent freeze, which would be a first for the Rent Guidelines Board. Since its inception in 1969, the board has never failed to raise rents. Last year, it allowed increases of up to 4% for one-year lease renewals and up to 7.75% for two-year leases.
During the campaign last year, Mr. de Blasio, along with his Democratic rivals, affirmed his support for a rent freeze, arguing that "at a time when nearly half of our city’s residents are living in or near poverty, we cannot continue to put additional financial burdens on poor and working New Yorkers."
Earlier this month, a spokesman for the mayor told The New York Times that Mr. de Blasio was "seeking balanced candidates who understand the needs of low- and moderate-income tenants."
The board's public meeting Thursday was packed with tenants chanting in favor of a rent freeze. Jack Freund, vice president of the pro-landlord Rent Stabilization Association, said he hopes Mr. de Blasio backs away from his earlier support for a freeze.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20140327/BLOGS04/140329888/de-blasio-names-new-members-of-rent-board
Mr. de Blasio named Sarah Williams Willard as an owners' representative to the Rent Guidelines Board, Cecilia Joza and Steven Flax as public members, and Sheila Garcia as a tenant representative. The mayor also re-appointed current tenants' representative Harvey Epstein to the board.
Mr. de Blasio announced the appointments Thursday morning in advance of the board's first public meeting of his administration.
Ms. Joza is currently the housing counseling program director at Mutual Housing Association of New York, a not-for-profit housing organization that owns and manages more than 1,200 affordable rental apartments in New York. Mr. Flax is a vice president of community reinvestment at M&T Bank, where he oversees community development lending for the bank.
Ms. Willard has held positions at Prudential Capital, CarrAmerica and Greenfield Partners, where her responsibilities included debt origination, development modeling and acquisitions. She currently works at Hudson Companies as a senior project manager, where she is responsible for managing the company’s activities on Roosevelt Island.
Ms. Garcia, one of the tenants' representatives, is a community organizer at CASA New Settlement, a not-for-profit, mixed-income housing and community-service organization in the Bronx. Mr. Epstein, who was also re-appointed as a tenants' representative, is project director of the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center.
Prior to his election as mayor, Mr. de Blasio was a vocal advocate for a rent freeze, which would be a first for the Rent Guidelines Board. Since its inception in 1969, the board has never failed to raise rents. Last year, it allowed increases of up to 4% for one-year lease renewals and up to 7.75% for two-year leases.
During the campaign last year, Mr. de Blasio, along with his Democratic rivals, affirmed his support for a rent freeze, arguing that "at a time when nearly half of our city’s residents are living in or near poverty, we cannot continue to put additional financial burdens on poor and working New Yorkers."
Earlier this month, a spokesman for the mayor told The New York Times that Mr. de Blasio was "seeking balanced candidates who understand the needs of low- and moderate-income tenants."
The board's public meeting Thursday was packed with tenants chanting in favor of a rent freeze. Jack Freund, vice president of the pro-landlord Rent Stabilization Association, said he hopes Mr. de Blasio backs away from his earlier support for a freeze.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20140327/BLOGS04/140329888/de-blasio-names-new-members-of-rent-board
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