Bronx tenant advocates say the city’s Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) didn’t go far enough Tuesday when it slightly lowered proposed rent hikes for two-year leases but ignored calls for a full freeze.
The board, which sets allowable rent increases for nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments citywide, voted 5–3 to slightly revise its preliminary proposal for two-year leases—lowering the range from 4.75%–7.75% to 3.75%–7.75%. The proposed hike for one-year leases remains unchanged, between 1.75% and 4.75%.
RGB Chair Doug Apple said the revision came in response to public testimony about the widening gap between renters’ incomes and the city’s rising cost of living.
But Bronx housing advocates say the adjustment is too modest to make a difference for the borough’s struggling tenants. Groups like Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA)-New Settlement have held rallies, protests, and town halls calling for a total rent freeze amid New York City’s housing and affordability crisis.
“This decision does not go nearly far enough,” said CASA tenant organizer Joanne Grell in an interview with the Bronx Times. “People are already being forced to choose between paying rent or buying groceries and medication.”
Grell cited the RGB’s own 2025 Income and Affordability Study, which found that 36.7% of Bronx residents spent at least half of their income on rent in 2023.
On Sunday, CASA co-hosted a mayoral candidate forum focused on housing justice, alongside four other housing nonprofits and City Council Member Pierina Sanchez of District 14. The forum, aimed at highlighting tenant concerns in the Bronx, featured appearances from mayoral hopefuls State Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Michael Blake—both of whom pledged to appoint RGB members who would support a rent freeze.
The mayor picks all nine members who sit on the board.
So far, candidates including Blake, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and State Sen. Jessica Ramos have publicly committed to appointing RGB members in favor of the freeze. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, and Myrie have also voiced support for the idea.
“Tenants are not going to have it anymore with the RGB or the mayor who has repeatedly raised our rents four times in the past four years,” said Grell. “We’re not going to accept anything less than a 0% rent increase.”
Council Member Sanchez echoed that sentiment in a statement to the Bronx Times, warning that even a scaled-back increase would place thousands of Bronx tenants at greater risk of displacement.
“Any rent increase will only further push New Yorkers out of their homes,” Sanchez said. “I urge the Rent Guidelines Board to continue listening to tenant feedback ahead of their June 30 vote and to prioritize stability for renters.”
The RGB will hold a series of public hearings across the city before its final vote. The Bronx hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 at 5 p.m. at Hostos Community College’s main theater in the South Bronx. Residents must register and show up in-person to testify, but can watch the hearing virtually via the RGB’s YouTube channel.
