The Village of Ossining selected CCCE to conduct a Housing Vacancy Study to determine the vacancy rate in buildings with at least six dwelling units that were completed prior to January 1, 1974. Pursuant to the New York State Emergency Tenant Protection Act, if there is less than a 5% vacancy rate in such buildings, a housing emergency can be declared and rent regulations can be imposed.
CCCE conducted telephone, mail and on-site surveys of the owners of such properties in Ossining from a list provided by the local Tax Assessor, reaching 79% of the owners. The survey findings indicated that there was an overall 3.06% vacancy rate in the surveyed properties, with a 3.26% rate in buildings with 6 to 10 units, a 3.8% rate in buildings with 11 to 17 units, and a 2.90% rate in buildings with 18 or more units.
CCCE presented the findings to the Village of Ossining Town Board and reported that it could declare a housing emergency and require rent regulations for this class of buildings, which it did on August 29, 2019. Subsequently, after a new Village Board was elected in November, and in response to pressure from the real estate industry, the number of properties under rent regulation was reduced somewhat, but over 1000 units are still covered by the new rent rules.