Jersey City tenants press council over rent-control reversal and persistent security failures at Portside Towers

Tenants and tenant leaders told the Jersey City Municipal Council on Jan. 2, 2025, that a December rent‑control determination for 108 Sussex Street was reversed days after it was served and that Portside Towers remains without the city‑mandated uniformed security guards and resident superintendents, and they urged the council to enforce existing ordinances.

Anna Cruz, a tenant at 108 Sussex Street, said the Bureau of Rent Leveling issued a determination on Dec. 12 confirming the building is subject to rent control and that the landlord signaled an intent to appeal. "That day felt like justice at last," Cruz said, adding that a later notice issued on Dec. 24 reversed that determination and was described by staff as a "correction." She told the council the reversal undermined tenants' expectation that a properly served determination would be followed through the rent‑leveling process.

Kevin Weller, president of the Portside East Tenant Association, said Cruz’s case fits a pattern his group has documented since 2023. "Anna's story isn't just her story, it's a pattern," Weller said, and asked why…