Housing Notebook

• Topics of general interest to tenants, including the beginning of heat season; the "city of yes" city planning project; and the mayor ... -

HEAT SEASON, MAYOR'S ZONING PLAN, AND HE'S GOT TROUBLE!

Heat season starts October, we gave you the lowdown on the heat law and how to enforce your rights. Also, Scott Sommer talked with City Planning Commissioner Leah Goodridge about the Mayor's "City of Yes" zoning plan and what tenants need to know as it heads towards the City Council. And, well, the Mayor has some other things going on, which were talked about as well.

Housing Notebook is a production of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, New York's oldest tenant union.

• Dominique Bernucca - Hood, Tenant Organizer, Met Council on Housing; Leah Goodridge, former member of the Rent Guidelines Board and currently at the NYC Department of City Planning

• Met Council hotline: 212-979-0611, M & W 1:30-8 PM, F 1:30-5 PM; walk-in clinics will resume October 1, for more information, click here. www.metcouncilonhousing.org, thetenant.org; info@metcouncilonhousing.org; Facebook & Instagram: search for Met Council on Housing; email: housingnotebook@wbai.org – no housing problems please! X: @met_council, @wbai.org; wbai.org – live stream, find archive, join radio station there or call 212-209-2950 or go to buddy.wbai.org to become a WBAI buddy – be sure to scroll down to choose Housing Notebook as the show you want to support!

• October 26 is the last day to register to vote in New York State or request an absentee ballot in person (if requesting by mail, your request must be received by October 26). To register to vote, verify your registration, or make changes to your registration information anywhere in the U.S. of A., go to vote.gov. Locally, go to vote.nyc.

• New rent guidelines taking effect 10/1/24: New York City, 2.75% for a 1-year lease and 5.25% for a 2-year lease; Nassau County 1.5% for 1 year, 2.5% for 2 years; Rockland County 2% 1 year, 3% 2 years; Westchester County 2.5 for 1 year, 3.5 for 2 years; City of Kingston 0 and 0! City of Poughkeepsie TBD. If you're in a rent-stabilized apartment in Kingston or Poughkeepsie, don't sign a renewal lease yet ... for more information, contact For the Many.

• Heat & hot water: Heat law is in effect starting October 1 and continuing until May 31: from 6am to 10pm, when the outside temperature is below 55, the temperature everywhere in your apartment must be at least 68 degrees; from 10pm to 6am, the temperature everywhere in your apartment must be at least 62 degrees, regardless of the outside temperature. Hot water at a minimum 120 degrees at the tap must be provided 24 hours a day, year round. Go to portal.311.nyc.gov or call 311 to report lack of hot water, for NYCHA call 718-707-7771; outside NYC call dept. of health or buildings. Call hotline (212-979-0611) for help with organizing; for more information and to get a heat sheet, click here.