For Immediate Release: June 5, 2026
Media Contact: K Agbebiyi, press@housingjusticeforall.org, kagbebiyi@housingjusticeforall.org 770-605-9251
“State leaders promised affordability, but delivered nothing in the midst of a historic housing crisis”
NEW YORK – As the legislative session comes to a close, tenants and homeless New Yorkers are frustrated that Albany took no action to make housing more affordable this year. The following statement is attributable to Sumathy Kumar, director of the Housing Justice for All coalition which represents 80+ tenant and community organizations from Buffalo to Brooklyn:
“New Yorkers are facing a historic housing crisis and poll after poll has shown that housing affordability is a top issue for New Yorkers. Lawmakers and the governor should be ashamed to be leaving Albany without addressing voters’ needs and reining in skyrocketing rents.
“Despite broad support across both the Senate and Assembly, the REST Act did not get a vote as legislators ran up against the end of session clock after Governor Hochul held up the budget for months. We are grateful to the sponsors Senator Kavanagh and Assembly Member Shrestha for their diligent advocacy for tenants. When the legislature cannot act on critical issues their constituents broadly support, our legislative process is broken.
“Twenty-two municipalities upstate have adopted Good Cause Eviction, including the Village of Monticello in Sullivan County just last night. There is a housing crisis in every part of the state and many localities want to take action, yet bureaucratic barriers, legal threats, and state inaction continue to block local leaders from further action to regulate rent hikes.
“State leaders promised affordability this year, but failed to help tenants at a time when we’re facing the overlapping crises of wartime inflation, federal cuts to social assistance, and economic precarity. Tenants are half the state, we are organized, and we won’t stop fighting until we win expanded rent stabilization and social housing.”
BACKGROUND
The REST Act would have made it easier for upstate localities to pass rent stabilization laws, expanding housing access across the state and protecting tenants from landlord rent hikes. Nine municipalities have attempted to adopt rent stabilization, but have been blocked by the vacancy study requirement and landlord lawsuits. More than 75 local elected officials asked state leaders to pass the REST Act and five cities passed resolutions in support.
REST has widespread support from upstate legislators and had significant momentum this week. Both houses made technical amendments this week, but did not bring it to the floor for a vote as time ran out.
A recent Community Service Society (CSS) report showed that New Yorkers in every region of the state are facing a housing crisis. It profiled six Upstate cities – Albany, Buffalo, Ithaca, Kingston, Rochester, and Syracuse, where the majority of tenants are rent-burdened (spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs) or severely rent-burdened (spending 50% or more).
Housing affordability has become a defining issue for voters – statewide polling shows an overwhelming majority of voters, 68%, would be more likely to support a candidate who backs rent stabilization.