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The Kingston Common Council plans to conduct hearings to gather public input on the future of rent control in the city. The council aims to review a recent vacancy study that indicates the vacancy rate has surpassed the threshold necessary for declaring a housing emergency. The study, conducted by the city's Office of Housing Initiatives, found a net vacancy rate of 7.04% for Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) properties, exceeding the 5% threshold required for a housing emergency declaration. However, buildings with more than 22 units recorded a vacancy rate below this benchmark.
Mayor Steven T. Noble emphasized the importance of the study, stating, "The 2025 survey finds that the net vacancy rate for ETPA-covered properties exceeds the percentage required to declare a municipality-wide housing emergency." The study's findings will be presented to the Laws and Rules Committee on August 20, 2025, and the Common Council will subsequently review the results.
The council will hold two public hearings where tenants and landlords can express their views, though the exact dates have not yet been set. The city currently has nearly 980 rent-regulated apartments. The hearings will help determine whether continued rent stabilization would benefit Kingston residents.