Hoboken: Once again going the wrong direction on Rent Control

Recently the Hoboken City Council had a first reading on amendments to the current Rent Control Ordinance that it said aligned it with other Rent Control Ordinances other Hudson County Municipalities. Should that matter? Does that Matter? The answer is NO.

Hoboken Rent Control Amendments Explained:

MSTA Observations on Rent Control Reform

JCPOA Report to Council Committee

MSTA Response to Hoboken’s Rent Control Paper

The Impacts of Rent Control on Affordable Housing in Hudson County

Study: The Impacts of Rent Control on Affordable Housing in Hudson County

The Impacts of Rent Control on Affordable Housing in Hudson County

Hoboken is well behind the more insightful rent control polices in Hudson County

JCPOA Report to Council Committee

This revised ordinance intends to ignore the rationality behind CPI increases and will continue to drive property owners to convert to private residences or undermaintain their rental properties

If the premise is that Hoboken has fallen out of step with Hudson County rent control, then a comparison table should have been prepared.  Had real research been done, it would have been discovered that Jersey City’s form of rent control would provide greater, not lesser, vacancy decontrol among other benefits;

The affordable housing benefits stated in the preamble are illusory, because income-constrained families do not get selected for housing they cannot afford.  The only way to provide affordable housing for families that need it is through intentioned programming which Hoboken has not created;

The theory of CPI as an indicator of cost increase for landlords keeps them at status quo. When incomes are rising, as they are now, the value of the property is being taken from the property owner and delivered to the tenant despite that the tenant already is in an advantageous position but the owner is subject to higher costs of commodities and labor;
The sum of these changes will result in even greater conversion of properties, gaps in maintenance, increased enforcement burdens on both sides, and devaluation of property at a time when property owners who survived the pandemic are just getting back on their feet and the City is already facing substantial property tax appeals that will burden single family and condo owners.

Contact the Mayor and your City Council Members:

Mayor Ravi Bhalla

Office: (201) 420-2000 ext 1001
EMAIL: rbhalla@hobokennj.gov

Emily Jabbour

President, Council at Large
Office: 201-420-2000 ext. 2101
Mobile: 781-724-6258
EMAIL: hobokenemily@gmail.com

Michael Russo

VP, 3rd Ward Council person
Office: (201) 420-2000 x 2106
Mobile: (text is best) 201-401-9687
EMAIL: councilmanrusso@gmail.com

James Doyle

Council at Large
Office: 201-420-2000 ext. 2103
Mobile: 201-452-1761
EMAIL: jimdoylehoboken@gmail.com

 

Joe Quintero

Council at Large
Mobile: 201-701-1031
EMAIL: councilmanquintero@gmail.com

Michael DeFusco

1st Ward Council person
Office: 201-420-2000 ext. 2104
Mobile: (646) 372-4341
EMAIL: mike4hoboken@yahoo.com

Tiffanie Fisher

2nd Ward Council person
Office: 201-420-2000 ext. 2015
Mobile: (201) 208-1674
EMAIL: hoboken2nd@gmail.com

Ruben Ramos Jr.

4th Ward Council person
Office: (201) 420-2000 x 2107
Mobile: 201-401-7947
EMAIL: councilmanramos4@gmail.com

Phil Cohen

5th Ward Council person
Phone: (862) 234-9053
EMAIL: pcohen@hobokennj.gov

Jennifer Giattino

6th Ward Council person
Office: 201-420-2000 ext. 2100
Mobile: (201) 780-6779
EMAIL: jengiattino6@gmail.com

 

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