LSNYC, Legal Aid Welcome Court Decision Granting Tenant Advocates’ Motion to Intervene in Rent Freeze Lawsuit

(NEW YORK, NY) — Legal Services NYC and The Legal Aid Society released the following statement after a court granted Tenants & Neighbors and Met Council on Housing’s motion to intervene in litigation challenging the New York City Rent Guidelines Board’s rent freeze:

“We welcome the court’s decision to grant Tenants & Neighbors and Met Council on Housing’s motion to intervene in this case. Landlords are asking the court to overturn a rent freeze that will directly affect millions of rent-stabilized tenants across New York City. The tenants who will bear the consequences of this litigation deserve a seat at the table, and Tenants & Neighbors and Met Council have spent decades organizing, educating, and advocating for precisely these New Yorkers.

“The Rent Guidelines Board acted squarely within its authority when it adopted the rent freeze following months of public meetings, testimony, extensive research and economic analysis, and deliberation. The landlords may disagree with the outcome, but disagreement with the Board’s policy judgment is not a legal basis to overturn it. “With New York City in the midst of an affordability crisis, the stakes in this case could not be higher for rentstabilized tenants struggling to remain in their homes and communities. We will vigorously defend the Board’s lawful decision and fight to ensure that the rent freeze takes effect as intended, preserving critical protections for tenants and helping New Yorkers remain in the communities they call home.”

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For over 50 years, LSNYC has challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC fights every day to ensure New Yorkers, and their families have access to the services, resources, and protections they need to survive. www.legalservicesnyc.org

The Legal Aid Society is a nonprofit law firm that exists for one simple yet powerful reason: to ensure that New Yorkers are not denied their right to equal justice because of poverty. For 150 years, we have protected, defended, and advocated for those who have struggled in silence for far too long. Every day, in every borough, The Legal Aid Society changes the lives of the people we serve and helps improve our communities. www.legalaidnyc.org Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers.