CITY COLLEGE–William Jimenez and his four children worry they may be forced to move. They came to New York from the Dominican Republic seeking a better life three years ago. The family felt lucky when they moved into their three-bedroom apartment in East New York. But now, their landlord plans to raise the rent by $1,500. ”It’s just not possible,” Jimenez said. “I’m a single father, and I work two jobs. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Jimenez is not alone. Rent prices in Brooklyn have been skyrocketing in recent years, making it increasingly difficult for people to afford to live in the borough. According to a recent report by StreetEasy, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn is $4,350, up 14% from 2022.
The latest findings from the Community Service Society of New York’s (CSS) annual Unheard Third survey highlight many New York City tenants’ ongoing concerns about housing affordability, rising rents and the lack of protections tenants have against evictions. For nearly 378,000 of the city’s market-rate tenants with household incomes under $50,000, rent increases could lead to eviction and homelessness.
