Kingston council unanimously backs resolutions urging state social housing authority, expanded rent protections

The Kingston Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass two memorializing resolutions urging New York State to create a Social Housing Development Authority and to expand rent-stabilization tools under the Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants (REST) Act.

The actions follow a lengthy public-comment period in which more than 30 residents, advocates and policy experts urged council members to support both measures and to cancel a local vacancy study that several speakers said could be used to deregulate rent-protected units.

The memorializing resolution for the Social Housing Development Authority (Resolution 79 of 02/2025) aims to encourage the state legislature to enact legislation that would create a public developer able to finance and build permanently affordable housing. Alderman Michael Tierney, who introduced the measure, told the council the authority would ‘‘decommodify’’ housing and allow deeply affordable units where tenants pay about 25 percent of income, and that it could deploy mixed-use and higher-density projects.

Community members spoke repeatedly about the local impacts of rising rents and vacancy-driven deregulation. Jenna Goldstein, Ulster County organizer for For the Many, said tenants face intimidation and legal pressure from landlords and called the two bills ‘‘necessary to expand and protect rent stabilization.’’ Naomi Dan, chief of staff at Housing Justice for All, told the council that state funding would be required for Kingston to build and maintain homes at the affordability levels residents need.

Councilmembers amended the social-housing resolution to change two whereas clauses: the phrase ‘‘union built housing’’ was replaced with ‘‘utilizing prevailing wage labor, built housing for public and community ownership’’ and a second clause was changed to replace ‘‘union labor’’ with ‘‘utilizing prevailing wage labor and sustainable construction techniques.’’ Alderman Terrell Mickens moved the amendment and Jeanne Edwards seconded; the amendment passed 8-0.

Alderman Tierney and Alderman Michelle Hirsch both spoke in favor of the resolutions at the meeting. Hirsch summarized the REST Act’s three changes to the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) discussed in testimony: authorizing municipalities to declare a housing emergency and opt into protections using a vacancy study or other data; bringing buildings 15 years old into local rent-stabilization coverage on a rolling basis; and allowing municipalities to set local thresholds for how many units per building will be covered. Hirsch also noted Kingston currently has ETPA protections for about 1,200 tenants and that related litigation is pending at the Court of Appeals.

Speakers urged the council to cancel the planned local vacancy study, citing examples from other municipalities where vacancy studies led to legal challenges and loss of tenant protections. Brandon Estenis, an economist who addressed the council, said a public developer could fill market niches private developers do not and act countercyclically to build through downturns.

The council adopted Resolution 79 (social housing memorial) and Resolution 80 (REST Act memorial) by recorded voice vote, each 8-0.

These actions are memorializing resolutions — statements urging state action — not local laws, and the council members noted that implementation of either policy would require state legislation and, in many cases, state funding or enabling authority. Several speakers and at least one councilmember emphasized that creating a social housing authority and expanding local rent protections would require funding and coordination at the state level.

The council also moved Resolutions 79 and 80 to the top of the agenda after the public comment period so members could consider them immediately.

Resolution outcomes

- Resolution 79 (memorializing support for the Social Housing Development Authority bill): Adopted 8-0. Amendment to edit labor language adopted 8-0 (mover: Alderman Terrell Mickens; seconder: Jeanne Edwards). - Resolution 80 (memorializing support for the REST Act): Adopted 8-0.

Background and what’s next

The two resolutions are requests to state lawmakers and do not by themselves change local law. Speakers and councilmembers repeatedly stated that passage by the state legislature and funding would be necessary before projects or local expansion of rent stabilization could proceed. Council members and advocates said the resolutions are intended to send a clear signal to Albany that municipalities like Kingston want both a state social-housing developer and more flexible tools to expand rent protections.

The council’s vote will be transmitted as part of the city’s legislative record and advocacy materials to state senators and assembly members.