As rental prices in New York City soar, tenant activists are demanding that the government stop landlords from increasing the rent on regulated apartments. In the end, these lucky tenants would get relatively cheap apartments while everyone else ends up worse off. Reason speaks with housing advocates, landlords, experts, and working-class New Yorkers struggling to find a place to call home, and gets a first-hand look at the city’s housing crisis. As mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gets closer to winning his election—and freezing rents for nearly 2 million New Yorkers—many fear that the situation will only get worse.
Producer: Justin Zuckerman
Video editor: Danielle Thompson
Color Correction: Cody Huff
Graphics: Lex Villena
Camera: Kevin Alexander and Jim Epstein
Managing Editor: Natalie Dowzicky
Executive Editor: Jim Epstein
Photo Credits: Alain Le Garsmeur Bronx/Alamy, Keystone Press/Alamy, Dan Farrell/TNS/Newscom, Slicedbread/Pond5, NY Senate Photo/Flickr, AP Photo/Hans Pennink, G. Ronald Lopez/ZUMA Press/Newscom, Erik Mcgregor/ZUMA Press/Newscom, Michael Nigro / Pacific Press/Newscom, Albin Lohr-Jones/Sipa USA/Newscom, Barry Williams/TNS/Newscom, Sheldon Dick/Shorpy
Music Credits:”Eureka” by Ardie Son via Artlist; “Odd Numbers” by Curtis Cole by Ardie Son via Artlist; “Grey Shadows” by ANBR via Artlist; “Marakan” by Alon Peretz via Artlist; “Memento” by Nobou via Artlist; “Inquisitions” by Kevin Graham via Artlist; “Nothing Can Stop Us” by Nobou via Artlist; “Sophisticated Nostalgia: by Nobou via Artlist; “Fury” by Ardie Son via Artlist; “Strange Connection” by Nobou via Artlist; “Chronos” by idokay via Artlist; “Tick-Tock” generated by Eleven Labs; “Singela feat. Soraya Ravenle” by L. Donner via Artlist; “Aerials Secco” by Yehezkel Raz via Artlist; “Life’s Journey Begins” by idokay via Artlist; “A Stranger Thing” by Bruno E. via YouTube Creator Music