Is there anything more hypocritical than a communist practicing capitalism on the side?
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio is calling for a rent freeze on the city’s 1 million rent-controlled apartments while raising the rent on several of his own properties.
The mayor and his family raised the rent of a two-family unit to $2,850 last year, which has increased in $50 and $75 increments from the $2,400 price in 2009. De Blasio also raised rent by $25 for another one of his properties in June of 2015, according to documents obtained by Politico.
The De Blasios additionally charged a $4,500 rent for their former home when they moved into the official mayor’s residence Gracie Mansion in 2014.
Although he continues to raise the rents of his own properties, De Blasio has advocated for the city’s Rent Guidelines Board to freeze rents. The board has ruled against increasing rates for rent-controlled units for two years.
But the mayor is allowed to increase rents on his properties because they were not included in the city’s rent-stabilization program. A former City Hall spokesman explained that the mayor raised rates after making improvements to the apartment units.