Albany, NY — Today, Housing Justice for All, Senate Housing Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh, Assembly Housing Committee Chair Linda Rosenthal, Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, prime sponsor of the REST Act, tenants, and advocates led a press conference in Albany to release the Make Rent Affordable platform for the 2026 state legislative session. Tenants and homeless New Yorkers called on state leaders to strengthen tenant protections and invest in affordable housing amid ongoing federal funding cuts and rising housing costs. On behalf of New York's 9.2 million tenants – half our state –the group demanded action to ensure that every New Yorker has access to a safe, stable affordable home.

The “Make Rent Affordable” platform calls for State leaders to expand options for localities throughout New York to opt in to rent stabilization by passing the Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants (REST) Act (S4659A/ A4877A Kavanagh/Shrestha).  Additionally, it endorses funding the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP) at $250 million and calls for protecting rent stabilization and the 2019 rent laws that have kept 2.4 million New Yorkers in their homes.

The REST Act supports affordability by providing alternative methods for municipalities to adopt rent stabilization and expanding the range of rental housing that can be covered. The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 has kept millions of New Yorkers in their homes by strengthening rent stabilization, shielding tenants from harassment, and providing new protections for housing stability across the state. New York must reject attacks designed to raise rents and weaken this landmark statute.

Additionally, as the Trump administration attacks affordable housing and makes cuts to essential programs such as Section 8 that help tenants keep their homes, New York should fund HAVP at $250 million. HAVP is a statewide rental assistance program for low-income New Yorkers who are currently homeless, behind on rent, or facing loss of housing.

“Tenants are half the state and a majority in every major city. For more than nine million New Yorkers, rent is our biggest bill each month – and it keeps getting bigger. Tenants deserve safe and secure housing that doesn’t cost them the majority of their paycheck. New York must expand and protect rent stabilization across the state and fully fund the Housing Access Voucher Program,” said Sumathy Kumar, Executive Director of Housing Justice for All. “The cost of rent impacts every aspect of our lives – whether our kids must change schools, how long our commute to work is, even whether medical care and medicine is accessible. By making rent more affordable, New York leaders can grant millions of tenants more economic stability and the ability to build brighter futures. As the Trump administration continues to attack affordable housing funding and the real estate lobby attempts to undermine protections for tenants, it is essential that New York elected leaders put tenants first.”

“Across New York, communities are facing rising rents, inadequate housing, and growing housing instability,” said Senator Brian Kavanagh, Chair of the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development. “The REST Act would moder ize our rent laws, giving municipalities practical tools to assess local conditions, respond effectively, protect tenants, and stabilize neighborhoods. With proper funding, the HousingAccess Voucher Program we enacted last year, will dramatically enhance our efforts to
ensure that New Yorkers are safely and affordably housed.”

"Budget cuts by the Trump administration will soon pull the rug out from under key affordable housing and homelessness prevention programs, endangering thousands of tenants here in New York State," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. "Tenants make up half our state and we owe it to them to\ fully fund the Housing Access Voucher Program in our state budget, ensuring that homeless New Yorkers and those at risk of eviction can access housing vouchers, and we must stand firm in our commitment to uphold our landmark tenant protection laws. As more local governments outside of New York City look to opt in to rent stabilization, we must alsopass the REST Act this session to empower communities to tackle local housing emergencies head-on. Together, these reforms will ensure that safe and affordable housing remains within reach for the 9.2 million tenants who call New York State home."
 

"I welcome the Governor's acknowledgement, in her Executive budget, of rent stabilizationas a critical tool to alleviate a housing affordability crisis,” said Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, lead Assembly sponsor of the REST Act. “However, this tool is still not yet available to the majority of the state in reality, because of an arbitrary requirement to show a vacancy rate of 5% or lower, and because what buildings are considered eligible doesn't make sense for the different kinds of housing stock that exist across the state. The state needs to empower localities to use rent stabilization as an effective tool to protect their constituents, and the REST Act would do just that."

“Safe, affordable housing is a human right, and is essential to making New York State a place where people from all backgrounds can thrive,” said Senator April N.M. Baskin. “As a co-sponsor of the REST Act, I support giving municipalities outside of New York City flexible tools to address rising housing costs. In communities like Buffalo, where rents continue to increase as prices fall slightly nationwide, families need solutions that reflect local housing conditions. The REST Act is not a one-size-fits-all mandate. It modernizes existing law and gives local governments the option to pursue rent stabilization if it works for their community.”

"New York is in a housing affordability crisis. Rent stabilization is one of our best tools to keep families in their communities and protect people from displacement and harassment. As the affordability crisis grows, more areas need to access this tool to ensure their communities can thrive. I want to thank Senator Kavanagh and Assembly Member Shrestha for bringing this legislation forward,” said Senator Kristen Gonzalez.

“This is about the right to remain,” said Senator Robert Jackson. “When housing becomes a game of survival—when families are pushed out of the neighborhoods the built—neutrality is not an option. The REST Act gives cities and towns outside New York City the power to act before displacement becomes permanent. If housing is a human right, then rent stabilization must be a statewide option. In the face of federal rollbacks, New York must lead—not with caution, but with courage.”

“The housing crisis in New York continues to be an urgent challenge facing our state, especially in Westchester. While New York State has made meaningful progress over the past several years in increasing housing supply and affordability, we must build on that momentum and do more. The reality is that many adults working full-time cannot afford a modest one-bedroom apartment. Far too many New Yorkers are just one or two missed paychecks away from eviction or homelessness. We must continue finding a path forward so New Yorkers can afford to live in their communities. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation that continues to take steps to address the affordable housing crisis. I thank Senator Kavanagh and Assembly Members Shrestha and Rosenthal for their leadership on
this important issue,” said Senator Shelley Mayer.

“I stand with the Housing Justice for All coalition in our fights to secure full funding for housing programs like HAVP and protect our historic rent laws,” said Senator Gustavo Rivera. “We must do everything we can to keep tenants in their homes and stop families
from being pushed out of the neighborhoods they love.”

"Ensuring equitable access to affordable and quality housing is integral to improving the lives of our communities. As a co-sponsor of the REST Act, I am proud to support solutions that keep New Yorkers in their homes," said Senator Lea Webb. "The REST Act gives local communities outside of NYC the tools to respond to housing emergencies, while Housing Assistance Voucher Program (HAVP) fills critical gaps by helping low-income New Yorkers who are excluded from existing assistance. At a time when federal housing protections are
under attack, New York must lead by protecting renters, preventing evictions, and investing in long-term housing stability for all.”

“The housing affordability crisis is the number one thing making our state unlivable for working people,” said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher. “The expanded tenant protections passed in 2019 as part of the HSTPA helped to alleviate the burden and keep the people who live in rent stabilized buildings in safe, stable homes. For millions of NYC residents, access to a rent stabilized apartment is the difference between their ability to live in the city longterm or not. We must maintain and expand who is covered by rent stabilization in NYC and pass the REST Act so people all over the state have access to these essential protections.”

"Tenants across New York are being pushed to the brink by skyrocketing rents, federal attacks on affordable housing, and a real estate industry that continues to put profits over people. In my Queens Assembly district, families are working overtime just to stay in the homes they love, and far too many are one rent hike away from displacement. More than anything else, my office hears from constituents in crisis who are struggling to find affordable housing or vouchers to help pay the rent. I am proud to stand with Housing Justice for All in calling for bold action this session by expanding rent stabilization statewide through the REST Act, defending the 2019 rent laws that have kept millions housed, and fully funding the Housing Access Voucher Program to assist low-income New Yorkers who are otherwise excluded from existing programs. These policies are essential to keeping working-class families, immigrants, seniors, and people with disabilities rooted in their communities. Housing is not a luxury; it is a human right, and our state has a responsibility to build a fairer, more stable New York for all," said Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas. 

“Close to half of renters in my district are cost-burdened or severely cost-burdened, a situation that is increasingly untenable as costs of all kinds continue going up faster thanwages,” said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg. “My office frequently hears from residents who are struggling to afford the rent increases they are faced with each year, especially seniors who are living on fixed incomes. To make rent affordable again, we need to protect our 2019 housing laws and build on them with the REST Act and a fully-funded
Housing Access Voucher Program." 

”Rent stabilization should not be a privilege limited by zip code,” said Assemblymember
Marcela Mitaynes. “The REST Act is about giving every community in New York the tools they need to protect tenants and respond to real housing emergencies. Right now, outdated vacancy-rate requirements and costly studies have made rent stabilization impossible for much of the state, even as evictions and homelessness rise. This bill fixes that by allowing local governments to rely on real, publicly available data and tailor protections to their housing stock. As we fight to defend the 2019 rent laws that have kept 2.4 million New Yorkers in their homes, we must also expand tenant protections statewide and fully fund the Housing Access Voucher Program so families are not pushed out of their communities by skyrocketing rents or federal cuts.”

"In neighborhoods in Queens, where working families and tenants power our communities, rising rents are not an abstract policy failure but an everyday crisis,” said Assemblymember Steven Raga. “As Trump and big real estate push an agenda that raises rents and destabilizes families, New York must act by expanding rent stabilization statewide through the REST Act, fully funding the Housing Access Voucher Program, and protecting the 2019 rent laws that have kept millions housed. Housing is a human right, not a profit stream for corporate landlords. I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Legislature to pass these commonsense protections and deliver real housing stability for New Yorkers.”
 

"In 2026, we are calling on legislative leaders and Governor Hochul to commit to a set of working guarantees to make New York affordable,” said Jasmine Gripper, Co-Director New York Working Families Party. “At the top of that list is the guarantee of a home we can
afford. In the richest state in the country, all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, safe housing. With tenants making up half of the state — we need to prioritize funding programs like HAVP and statewide rent stabilization to make that vision a reality."
 

“The Make Rent Affordable platform is how we make it possible for working families to stay in New York. Across the state, renters have been facing skyrocketing rents without meaningful protections while local governments have faced costly legal hurdles to stabilizing housing costs by adopting rent stabilization. The REST Act removes those barriers and gives local municipalities the power to protect tenants from displacement, shielding them from bad faith lawsuits and expanding basic tenant protections. If state legislators are serious about addressing the affordability crisis, they must pass the REST Act this year and move the bill through committee as soon as possible," said Xaver Kandler, Political Director at For the Many and Co-Chair of Housing Justice for All.

“We have a housing crisis in New York State, and I have suffered the consequences of that crisis—I've spent 20% of my life experiencing homelessness and I'm currently paying 46% of my income toward rent. But my story isn't unique, and tenants across this state are organizing to change it. We won $50 million last year, and we're going to win the $250 million we need in 2026,” said Bebhinn Francis, organizer with United Tenants of Albany and the National Union for the Homeless and co-chair of Housing Justice for All.

###