Housing Notebook

• Topics of general interest to tenants, and specifically, the continuing struggle to keep and safeguard rent stabilization in Kingston, NY -

KINGSTON RENT LAWS IN JEOPARDY AS MAYOR VETOES RENEWAL

Last week the Kingston Common Council unanimously renewed its rent and eviction protections. Today, Mayor Steve Noble vetoed the renewal, jeopardizing the housing of 1200 families. Scott Sommer spoke with Kingston Alderwoman Michele Hirsch, and tenant organizer June Nemon to find out the latest.

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

• Michele Hirsch, Kingston Alderwoman; June Nemon, tenant organizer, Hudson ValleyTenants Union -

• Met Council hotline: normally 212-979-0611, M & W 1:30-8 PM, F 1:30-5 PM, on hiatus during year-end holidays; 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, @scottmsommer (also on threads & bluesky); wbai.org – live stream, find archive, join radio station there or go to buddy.wbai.org to become a WBAI buddy or make a one-time donation – be sure to scroll down to choose Housing Notebook as the show you want to support! Or call 833-922-4692 - leave a message with your phone number if no one picks up, and they'll call you back. Mail a check made out to WBAI-Pacifica to WBAI Radio, 388 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn NY 11217. 

• For all Met Council events, including trainings for hotline volunteers, workshops, and meetings about basic rights, check the calendar here.

• To contact Hudson Valley Tenants Union: hudsonvalleytenants@gmail.com

• To contact the New Jersey Tenants Organization: 201-342-3775, info@njto.org

• Heat and hot water: from 6am to 10pm, when the outside temperature is below 55 degrees the inside temperature must be 68 degrees; from 10pm to 6am, the inside temperature must be at least 62 degrees. Hot water must be 120 degrees at the tap at all times. For more information, click here.

• New rent guidelines: for leases starting 10/1/25 in New York City: for apartments and lofts, 3 percent for a 1-year lease, 4 1/2 percent for a 2-year lease; class A & B hotels, lodging houses, rooming houses, & SROs: 0 percent - for more detailed info, click here. Poughkeepsie still in litigation; Kingston: 0 and 0; Westchester 2% for 1 year, 3% for 2 years; Rockland County 5% for 1 year, 6% for 2 years; Nassau 2% for one year, 3% for 2 years. For more information about developments in Kingston and Poughkeepsie, contact For the Many: email info@forthemany.org or call 845-481-0703.