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Kingston is actively recruiting residents to serve on the city's Rent Guidelines Board, which will oversee rent adjustments for properties regulated under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). Applications are being accepted through February 27, 2026.
The nine-member board will be responsible for setting annual rent adjustment guidelines for ETPA-regulated properties and will receive support from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Board members will be required to meet at least once annually to fulfill their duties.
This recruitment comes amid ongoing tensions over rent stabilization in Kingston. In December 2025, Mayor Steve Noble vetoed a Common Council resolution that would have maintained rent stabilization protections for all eligible buildings. The mayor argued that the resolution "misconstrues aspects of the 2025 vacancy study and contains several factual errors."
The controversy centered around a vacancy study that found a 7.04% vacancy rate in ETPA-regulated properties, exceeding the 5% threshold required to declare a housing emergency under state law. However, the Common Council cited a 4.55% citywide vacancy rate and other factors in their unanimous decision to maintain protections.
The Council was expected to override the mayor's veto, as their original resolution passed with an 8-0 margin. Michele Hirsch, D-Ward 9, stated she believed "the council has a very solid argument to defend our legislative findings," according to the Daily Freeman.
Kingston's ETPA protections currently apply to approximately 1,000 units citywide in buildings with six or more units constructed before 1974. The city became the first upstate municipality to adopt ETPA in 2022.
Residents interested in serving on the Rent Guidelines Board can find more information and submit applications through the city's official channels. For additional details about ETPA in Kingston, residents can visit the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal website or use the Rent Connect online portal for submitting forms and inquiries.