Ossining Trustees Approve Rent Control

OSSINING, NY — The Ossining village Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to approve a rent-control plan for buildings of a certain age. The highly controversial proposal was opposed by many.

The vote was 3-2,The Journal News reported. Village Trustee Quantel Bazemore, John Codman and Omar Herrera voted yes, while Mayor Victoria Gearity and Trustee Rika Levin voted against the plan.

Supporters said they were worried about Ossining's poorest population, for whom rent is a massive part of monthly expenses.

Opponents said that that the village's problem wasn't affordable housing — Ossining's housing is among the more affordable in unaffordable Westchester — but degredation of the housing stock. They also pointed out that a recent study for the village which identified eight strategies to tackle Ossining's housing needs had put a low priority on rent control.

According to TJN, most Westchester municipalities that have adopted the state Emergency Tenant Protection Act are cities, though neighboring Croton-on-Hudson adopted one in 2003 for buildings with more than 50 units. Ossining's plan is to regulate buildings with six or more units built before 1974.