The Newburgh City Council unanimously approved Monday, January 8 the nine qualified city residents that will be recommended to the New York State Commissioner of Housing and Community Renewal for a city rent guidelines board. The state will make the final appointments to the rent guidelines board.

The rent guidelines board consists of nine members. Two members will represent the tenants, two will represent the property owners and the remaining five will be members of the public. The five public members will have at least five years of experience in finance, economics or housing.

The two tenant representatives are Valarie E. Larry and Bridget McMillan. The two property owner representatives are Debra R. Lamb and Karen Mejia. The five public members recommended are Corey Allen, Peter Frase, John Kasinki, Sarah Mazzetti and Dino Nguyen.

Last month in December, the city council voted unanimously to declare a housing emergency in the city thus allowing for the city to opt into rent stabilization under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) of 1974. The creation of a city rent guidelines board is part of the declaration of the emergency. The City of Newburgh was the second municipality in the Hudson Valley to opt into rent stabilization as the City of Kingston had already opted in previous to their vote.