RyeCity REVIEW THE
June 7, 2019 | Vol. 7, Number 23 | www.ryecityreview.com
Countytoreviewsecurity measuresafterVirginiashooting
Students of the Southern Westchester BOCES repair a SUV for the Rye Police Department as part of a community partnership program. For more, see page 6. Contribute photo
County board backs state effort to keep rents affordable The Westchester County Board of Legislators is lending its support to measures pending in Albany to keep rents affordable in New York, and to protect renters from being pushed out of their homes when landlords want to raise rents. By a bipartisan vote of 141, on June 3, the board passed a resolution backing several state bills to extend and strengthen
rent control under the Emergency Tenant’s Protection Act, EPTA. Twenty-one municipalities in Westchester have opted into ETPA, which allows rent control on certain housing units. Among the changes being backed by the board is one that would end the practice that allows landlords to raise rents for rent-controlled apartments by as much as 20 percent when new
By a bipartisan vote of 14-1, the Westchester County Board of Legislators passed a resolution backing several state bills to extend and strengthen rent control under the Emergency Tenant’s Protection Act. Twenty-one municipalities in Westchester have opted into ETPA, which allows rent control on certain housing units.
tenants move into units. Another would end the practice of “vacancy decontrol” of such apartments—which allows landlords to convert rent-stabilized units to market-rate units once the apartments have become vacant and the rent has hit a certain threshold. The board resolution also supports a measure to keep landlords from using the cost of major repairs to raise rents permanently. Rent increases could be used to pay for these repairs only until the actual repair costs are recouped. Another measure, unrelated to the ETPA, would prohibit evictions and non-renewals of leases without good cause. “Housing affordability is a crisis in our communities. We need to do what we can to keep rental housing available and affordable in order to help people stay in their homes; these bills do that,” said county Legislator Christopher Johnson, a co-sponsor of the resolution. “These state measures
will insure that most rent-controlled apartments stay rent-controlled, remove market incentives landlords have to push people out of apartments in order to raise rents, and they will make it impossible for people to be evicted just because a landlord wants to clear out an apartment just to raise the rent.” County Legislator Catherine Borgia, another co-sponsor of the resolution, said, “Housing costs continue to skyrocket and not just for homeowners. Renters, especially in our area, face an increasing burden, as more and more of their income has to go to rent. We whole-heartedly support the state’s effort to keep housing affordable by extending rent stabilization laws, and to protect tenants from imbalances in the current system that, without these changes, will continue to give landlords financial motives to move out long-standing tenants.” (Submitted)
Following the horrific May 31 shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Westchester County Executive George Latimer is directing county Department of Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Gleason to lead a review and evaluation of security measures and protocols at all Westchester County facilities. “What last week’s shooting shows us is that in these times, we must work to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep those in our facilities safe,” Latimer said. “This shooting occurred in a municipal building where residents are required to come in for various permits, receive paperwork, etc.—exactly like what occurs in municipal buildings in Westchester and nearly everywhere else around the Country.” Gleason added, “Our Department is committed to keeping Westchester residents and employees safe. We constantly review all real-world incidents that occur and update our security procedures and protocols in response if needed. We will be
conducting a similar assessment in the aftermath of the Virginia Beach tragedy.” Further, to honor the 12 victims of this horrific act of violence—many of whom were public servants who dedicated their lives to serving their community—Latimer has directed flags on Westchester County facilities be flown at half-staff. “These 12 innocent victims were everyday people who were just living their lives. This is not normal and this is not right,” Latimer said. “Our nation must act now to stop these senseless mass shootings, unless we want to see any trip to a public space become a potential nightmare.” In recent years, the county police have conducted Civilian Response to Active Shooter, CRASE, training for hundreds of county residents. CRASE training provides people with practical guidance to help them survive an active shooter event if one occurs in their workplace or other location where they are present. (Submitted)
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