FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2023
Mayor Noble’s Statement on New York State Budget Process
I am proud of the recent actions we have taken here in the City of Kingston in response to our housing crisis. With our Kingston Forward project, we are the cusp of historic, comprehensive zoning reform. Last year, we were the first municipality to opt into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act. Through our collaborations with the Land Bank, RUPCO, and others, we are ensuring that vacant city-owned properties are redeveloped into much-needed housing. However, I recognize that lasting solutions require coordination with other levels of government.
I urge the State Legislature and Governor Hochul to adopt the following measures as part of the budget negotiations:
Pass and fund the Housing Access Voucher Program (S568/A4021):
By many measures, New York State is in midst of the worst homelessness crisis since the Great Depression. HAVP will offer immediate rental assistance to New Yorkers, both helping people secure permanent housing and preventing others from losing it in the first place. HAVP would provide financial stability to building owners, ensuring a steady stream of rental income from low-income tenants.
Pass Good Cause Eviction: We passed Good Cause Eviction in January 2022 to give every Kingston tenant the right to a lease renewal and to protect tenants against predatory rent increases and unfair evictions. Since we passed our legislation, a series of courts decisions have struck down similar laws in Newburgh, Albany, and Poughkeepsie. It is now clear that State legislative action is needed to ensure these commonsense protections are upheld.
Pass the New York State Housing Compact: Governor Hochul has announced a goal to build 800,000 new homes In New York. The proposal calls for an increase of 3% in the downstate housing supply and 1% for upstate communities. New York needs more housing and especially affordable housing. The goals of the Housing Compact are reasonable and will ensure that New York will create enough homes to support a growing population.
In particular, I urge the State to pass a version of the proposal that will require all municipalities throughout the state to do their part to address our housing crisis. Decades of data and research have shown that incentives-based housing programs, though often well-intentioned, do not produce enough housing, nor do they reduce exclusionary housing practices.