Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has indicated that he will veto the rent control ordinance if the city council approves it at a special meeting this evening.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am unequivocally opposed to the amendment to Hoboken’s rent control ordinance being considered by the City Council at its virtual special meeting tonight,” Bhalla said in a lengthy statement.
“In arriving at this position, I have listened to the input of a diverse group of stakeholders: tenants, landlords, elected officials, and other concerned residents. Simply put, I am opposed to this amendment because it would severely diminish our stock of rent stabilized units in the City of Hoboken.”
Bhalla said that while the ordinance before the governing body has been widely characterized as a compromise, which many have said is a better outcome than a November referendum passing, but he disagrees.
“Tonight’s amendment does not advance the public interest. It advances the interests of special interest groups and wealthy, corporate landlords. It would result in displacement, further gentrification, further loss of below-market housing stock, and further erode the character of our city. I do not want to be a part of any such action,” he explained.
“I also do not take kindly to having a metaphorical gun being placed to my head by the Mile Square Tax Association, an aggressive corporate landlord lobbying organization, essentially being told to take this ‘compromise’ or possibly face a worse consequence for tenants at the ballot box.”
He also cited an editorial published by The Jersey Journal this morning that urged the council to reject the ordinance before them.
“In conclusion, I want to be clear: if the amendment passes tonight and lands on my desk, it is dead on arrival. I will veto this amendment because it’s the right thing to do,” Bhalla also wrote.
“I also have full confidence that should a referendum that proposes to further gut rent control be up for a vote in November, Hoboken voters will make the right decision at the ballot box. Sometimes the veto pen is the last defense against corporate greed and tyranny. This is one of those instances.”
In an email to his membership this afternoon, Mile Square Taxpayers Association Executive Director Ron Simoncini pointed out that Bhalla vetoed a measure in April of last year that would have prevented them from ever considering a referendum.
“He put the gun to his own head and to every property owner in Hoboken. In opposing the Referendum he has sided with extremist groups whose views on not only rent control but personal freedoms and international alliances are threats to justice and peace,” he wrote.
“We need the Mayor’s clear political pandering to motivate you to speak tonight in the interest of fairness and in support of the work the Council did to mediate the interests of all residents … The Mayor has lost 10 of his last 11 elections, including getting shellacked in his run for Congress. He is looking to revive his relevance. We all see what he’s done to Hoboken. Let’s make sure to send him a message tonight too.”
In her own statement, 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, a potential mayoral candidate and Bhalla’s most definitive political adversary on the council, noted that his veto led to these circumstances, also claiming he has done nothing to enforce rent control.
“While Mayor Bhalla conveniently criticizes the city council, ask him what he did in response to MSTA’s efforts. Zero. Nothing. Nada. Other than today’s game day letter to create a headline for himself,” she exclaimed.
“Also, under the 7 years of the Bhalla administration, there has been no effort under his leadership to enforce Hoboken’s existing rent control laws. If he really was pro-rent control you’d see it in his actions. Which we haven’t.”
Under Hoboken’s current law, when a tenant who has occupied a unit for at least three years voluntarily vacates a rent-controlled apartment, a landlord/property owner is permitted to apply for no more than a 25% increase in the monthly rent (otherwise known as vacancy decontrol) from the previous legal rent, for the next tenant.
If the referendum occurs and is approved, it would allow all rent-controlled units to go to market rate (upon vacancy) for a one-time fee of $2,500, which is payable to the Hoboken Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
As far as the ordinance that will be voted on by the governing body, the measure would require landlords seeking to be permitted to increase rents based on the schedule below to notify the city and pay a fee of either $100 (for currently registered units) or $3,500 (for unregistered units).
After opting into this program, landlords would be permitted a 25% increase upon vacancy of a unit that was occupied by the same tenant(s) for 2 years or greater, accompanied by a fee of $500.
They would also be permitted a 50% increase upon vacancy of a unit that was occupied by the same tenant(s) for 5 years or greater, accompanied by a fee of $1,000.
Finally, a 100% increase, or an increase up to $1,750, upon vacancy of a unit that was occupied by the same tenant(s) for 10 years or greater, at the choice of the landlord, accompanied by a fee of $2,000, would also be allowed.
The special city council meeting convenes this evening at 7 p.m. on Zoom, with the public having the ability to watch and listen in via this link.
Thank you for standing up for Tenants, Mayor Bhalla.
This is all about Ravi being Ravi.
He didn’t respond to the City Council president’s request to speak last week on how to improve in the potential compromise and it was ultimately doomed as is – and unanimously defeated 9-0 last night – regardless.
Back to Ravi being all about Ravi, what’s infuriating to me is how ended up in this mess when the Hoboken rent advocate and MSTA had an agreement struck and Ravi stepped in to intervene and blew it up. Now, Hoboken renters have little/no protection and we all face the very real possibility of the referendum passing and Hoboken just becomes a downtown JC of waterfront Weehawken in which a bunch of smart people live but never leave to eat or shop -OR- more likely, the renters vote it down and “Occupy Hoboken” (essentially squat) which motivates investors to sell, demotivates others to buy, and the further “San Franciscanization” over Hoboken accelerates as crime and homeless run rampant, owners don’t care to maintain their buildings, and the smartest of them dumped their properties already.
Ravi sucks.