Urgent Call for an Updated Housing Study in Monroe County, NY
Monroe County, NY is facing a dire housing crisis, leaving individuals and families struggling to find a safe and affordable place to call home. We are calling on state, county and city leaders to take urgent action. The statistics are alarming:
Housing is Unaffordable: HUD considers affordable housing as charging below 30% of income for rent. In Rochester, 45% of White/Non-Hispanic Families and 61% of Black and Hispanic Families spend more than 30% of their incomes on rent. (Kramer & Krug, 2018)
Our Community Members are Struggling:Almost one-third of the Rochester population lives below the poverty line, half of which are categorized as extreme poverty by the federal government. One out of every two children in Rochester lives in poverty. (Poverty in Rochester - RMAPI, 2022). Additionally, Rochester ranks No. 3 in overall poverty among the nation’s 75 largest metropolitan areas and No. 1 among cities of the same size. (Smithwick, 2020)
Many are Experiencing Homelessness:It is estimated that 803 people are unhoused each night in Rochester. Approximately 30% are children.(Fanelli, 2024)
Still, Rents are Rising: Rents in Rochester continue to rise, with fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment increasing by 35% from 2020 to 2024. (Fanelli, 2023)
Eviction Rates are High:More than 8500 people filed for eviction in Monroe County in 2022. (Cornell University, 2022)
Why is this important?This is a complicated problem that is affecting all residents, and disproportionately affects urban areas where poverty is the most concentrated. Rochester has a history of racist practices that prohibited Black residents from achieving home ownership, housing security, and increased segregation within the Rochester community. This has left glaring inequalities for today's citizens (Murphy, 2020). Migrant populations also are affected. Over 500 asylum seekers came to Rochester from NYC over the past year, and the majority are still living in local hotels. (Whalen, 2024)Although the county leaders have proposed new initiatives (Monroe County, NY - County Executive Adam Bello Announces $7.8 Million Plan to Increase Affordable Housing Opportunities, n.d.) grassroots justice organization, City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester, says this is not enough.
“The City of Rochester’s housing policies have destabilized our community and put for-profit investors first. That’s why the tenants of Rochester are calling on the city to Stabilize Rochester through a set of five key local reforms. We’ve had the tenth highest rent increases in the country, leaving 48% of families of color in Rochester severely rent-burdened. Yet the City gave developer Andy Gallina a $17 million tax break to gentrify our community and build luxury apartments with rents of $2,950 a month.” (Stabilize Rochester Campaign, n.d.)
What should we do?City Wide Tenant Union says the first step to reform is getting approved for the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) which would offer up to 30,000 people protection from:
Unfair and Unregulated Rent HikesEviction without “Good Cause”Ignored Maintenance Concerns
In order to enact ETPA, the city must show that certain rental buildings meet vacancy rates of 5% or less. In 2021, Rochester did not meet this criteria. However, housing experts say this data is likely inaccurate and that it’s time for a new study. Supporters include City Council Member Mary Lupien, State Assemblymember Sarah Clark, local lawmakers Harry Bronson and Demond Meeks, and Senators Samra Brouk and Jeremy Cooney.
Justification for a new study:
Only 37% of landlords participated in 2021, likely skewing the data.Governor Hochul has since passed legislation allowing penalties for non-participation.Other upstate cities have redone the study and achieved more accurate results that qualified for EPTA. The problem has rapidly become worse since 2021. (Fanelli, 2023).
We urge Monroe County officials to prioritize this issue and allocate the necessary resources to conduct a thorough housing study as soon as possible. Together, we can work with local Tenant organizations to address the housing inequities that affect our residents.
Other Possible Solutions
Explore programs like New York City's CityFHEPS.Improve shelter access and qualityConsider more implementation of rapid rehousing programs
Our Call
We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the ongoing housing crisis in our city, particularly its impact on vulnerable populations. As our community grapples with rising rents, limited housing options, and systemic barriers to housing access, we urge the following state, county, and city leaders to take immediate action to implement rent stabilization measures:
Malik Evans, Mayor of Rochester, NYAdam Bello, Monroe County ExecutiveGovernor Kathy HochulRochester City Council Members (https://www.cityofrochester.gov/citycouncil/Local Senate/ Assembly Members (https://www.rtma.org/nys-greater-rochester-senate-and-assembly-2/
Rent stabilization is a crucial tool for protecting tenants from unjust rent increases and ensuring housing stability for all residents. This starts with funding another ETPA study immediately.
Please sign this petition to show your support for an updated housing study in Monroe County, NY. Together, we can make a difference and work towards the goal of ensuring everyone in our city has access to safe, affordable housing.
Signed,
Karah Phillips
Alexis Fox
Rev Nair
Phoebe Wilmot
Undergraduate Seniors of Social Work at SUNY Brockport
Sources:
City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester, NY . (n.d.). Www.facebook.com Retrieved April 14, 2024, from https://www.facebook.com/RocTenantUnion
City of Rochester. (n.d.).https://www.cityofrochester.gov/citycouncil/
CityFHEPS Frequently Asked Questions For Clients in the Community. (2024, April 4). NYC Department of Social Services. Retrieved April 14, 2024, fromhttps://www.nyc.gov/assets/hra/downloads/pdf/cityfheps-documents/dss-7r-e.pdf
Cornell University. (2022). Eviction Filings by County – Cornell ILR Eviction Filings Dashboard. Blogs.cornell.edu.https://blogs.cornell.edu/nysevictions/home/
Emergency tenant protection act (ETPA) of 1974 chapter 576 laws of 1974 as last amended. (2024). In NYS Homes and Community Renewal Office of Rent Administration. The Division of Housing and Community Renewal Office of Rent Administration.https://hcr.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/01/fact-sheet-08-01-2024_1.pdf
ETPA FAQ and Rent Graph - Old. (2017). Google Docs.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QlC1nVI9PO1WTxf9WdkWYRSDkilCpemI/view
Fanelli, G. (2023, December 19). Rochester gets a second shot at rent control study. WXXI News.https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2023-12-18/rochester-gets-a-second-shot-at-rent-control-study
Fanelli, G. (2024, February 1). New report points to worsening homelessness among Rochester children. WXXI News.https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2024-02-01/new-report-points-to-worsening-homelessness-among-rochester-children
Housing Justice for All. (2024). Fighting for a Housing System That Puts People over Profits.https://housingjusticeforall.org/
Kramer, B., & Krug, M. (2018). New York's rent affordability crisis harshly impacts families of color. https://fiscalpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/April-2018.Final-Rent-Inequality-Brief.pdf
Murphy, J. (2020, February 5). How Rochester’s growing city and suburbs excluded black residents. Democrat and Chronicle.https://www.democratandchronicle.com/in-depth/news/2020/02/05/rochester-ny-kept-black-residents-out-suburbs-decades/2750049001/
NYS Greater Rochester Senate and Assembly. RTMA. (n.d.).https://www.rtma.org/nys-greater-rochester-senate-and-assembly-2/
Poverty in Rochester - RMAPI. (2022, April 12). Rochester- Monroe- Anti- Poverty- Initiative.https://rmapiny.org/poverty-in-rochester/
Smithwick, K. (2020, December 11). ACT Rochester.Www.actrochester.org https://www.actrochester.org/tinymce/source/US%20Census%20Update%202020.pdf
Stabilize Rochester Campaign. (n.d.). City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester. Retrieved April 14, 2024, fromhttps://roctenantunion.org/stabilizeroc
Tenant Defense Project of Monroe County. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2024, fromhttps://www.tenantdefense.org/
Whalen, R. (2024, February 26). Roughly 30 migrant families have moved to western N.Y. under new state program. Spectrumlocalnews.com.https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2024/02/26/roughly-30-migrants-families-have-moved-to-wny-under-new-state-program
