De Blasio calls for a rent freeze amid coronavirus pandemic

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) called for a rent freeze in the city amid the coronavirus pandemic.

De Blasio, who has already halted evictions in the city, said he would also ask the state government in Albany to allow New Yorkers to pay their rents with their security deposits as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis thrusts families’ finances into uncertainty. 

“We need a rent freeze,” de Blasio tweeted Friday. “I am calling on the Rent Guidelines Board to freeze rents for all regulated apartments. I’m also asking the State to allow New Yorkers to pay rent with their security deposit. I want to see them act quickly.”

We need a rent freeze.

I am calling on the Rent Guidelines Board to freeze rents for all regulated apartments. I’m also asking the State to allow New Yorkers to pay rent with their security deposit. I want to see them act quickly.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 10, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the shuttering of schools and several industries, leaving many parents out of a job with nowhere to send their children during the day. 

De Blasio has issued a series of orders and recommendations for New York City residents to combat the coronavirus, including calling for a “national enlistment of medical personnel” and advising people wear any kind of makeshift face mask if they are outside. 

New York City has emerged as the epicenter for the country’s COVID-19 outbreak — the city has had more than 92,000 confirmed cases and nearly 6,000 deaths.