Bridget McMillan loves the past three years she’s spent in Newburgh. She says she’s especially lucky to have a good relationship with her landlords who haven’t raised rent since she moved in.

But she knows that a lot of her neighbors, even those who’ve spent their entire lives here, can’t say the same.

“I grew up in a town that, you know, my dad grew up in," she said. "And I would like to see families be able to stay put.”

There could be good news for families looking to stay in Newburgh. The City Council unanimously passed the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, or ETPA, this week. The city conducted a study that found less than 5% of its ETPA-eligible rental housing stock was vacant, the scope of those rentals covered by the ETPA are buildings with six or more residential units built before 1974. That 5% threshold allows the city to pass the ETPA. The city now has the authority to keep an eye on the cost of rent through a to-be-established rent guidelines board.

But what may be good news for some renters is causing controversy for some landlords.

Rich Lazarone is the executive director of the Hudson Valley Property Owners Association which represents landlords opposed to the rent control efforts. He claims the city’s vacancy study had inaccuracies, and that the vacancy level is not as low as 5% as the city cites. He called the law misguided, saying it may not directly address the needs of lower income renters. 


“So if you happen to live at this address and you're a well-to-do person, well, you're getting a rent subsidy," Lazarone said. "Meanwhile, there are many renters, I'm sure, in the city of Newburgh that need rent assistance, but they're not getting it.”

Daniel Atonna, political coordinator from grassroots group For The Many, disagrees. For The Many spent time advocating for the law to be passed in Newburgh.

“Why is it bad for people to stay in their homes?" Atonna said. "Why is it bad for people to not have to pull their kids out of school and leave their job because they can't afford to stay in an area? I would say that's good. It's good that people will be able to stay here in the city of Newburgh because their rents are going to be regulated by the Rent Guidelines Board.”

Newburgh is now the second upstate community to enact a rent control policy. Nearby Kingston passed its own law back in 2022. As for Bridget, she thinks the law will be able to keep people from getting priced out.