Hoboken, NJ – Paul Presinzano, a candidate in the Hoboken 1st Ward Council Runoff, is currently facing allegations of illegally raising rents before the end of the city’s rent moratorium on May 7, 2022. These allegations have become a significant issue in the runoff election.
Hoboken had implemented a law during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, prohibiting landlords from increasing rents in rent-controlled buildings while the State of Emergency was in effect. This law also restricted landlords from implementing annual rent increases based on the Consumer Price Index and from adding surcharges at lease renewals.
The allegations against Presinzano were brought forward by the campaign of his runoff opponent, Rafi Cordova, with documentation provided to support their claims. Cheryl Fallick, a longtime advocate for rent control and tenants’ protections in Hoboken, and a former running mate of Presinzano, was quoted in a press release from the Cordova campaign. She claimed that Presinzano had discussed his plans to raise his tenants’ rent by $75 per month starting April 1st, 2022, despite the ongoing moratorium. Further details and the documentation can be viewed in Fallick’s original tweet on this subject from October 20, 2022, available here.
https://x.com/Indiecom2/status/1715420635302662347?s=20
In response to these allegations, Hudson TV reached out to candidate Presinzano for a comment. Presinzano provided the following full statement:
“I saw the quote from Cheryl. It’s just more lies from Team Bhalla and my opponent’s allies, desperate for a City Council majority, willing to say anything. If Cheryl really supported tenants, as she claims, she would not be supporting my opponent, who openly calls for a rent control law referendum. This is a clear ploy by Team Bhalla, using dirty politics to smear my candidacy. It’s disheartening to see Cheryl puppeted in such a way.
My wife and I occasionally rent out our old apartment. We began renting it a few years ago, and opened it up to the current tenants during the pandemic as a way to do our part to address the crisis. We are fully committed to adhering to all local and state laws, and have not received any notification or indication of any legal violation. Any suggestion otherwise by Team Bhalla and my opponent is a baseless and misleading attempt to distract from the real issues facing our community. I have a great relationship with the people living in the apartment, and in fact, when they saw the nasty mailer sent by my opponent this week, they reached out asking if they could endorse my campaign.
First ward residents voted for me in the General Election because they know I am an advocate for protecting secure and affordable housing options in Hoboken. I am passionately opposed to a referendum on Hoboken’s rent control law because a referendum would put hundreds in the First Ward and everyone in Marine View Plaza at risk of losing their homes. My opponent, however, seems to want a referendum as he publicly stated in the debates last month. Playing so loosely with people’s housing is wrong, and the people of Hoboken deserve a representative who knows better.
The lies and baseless attacks put out by Team Bhalla, are toxic for our community and threaten our democracy. I refuse to let falsehoods define this election. I am focused on improving the quality of life of my neighbors. I ask the people of the First Ward to take a stand with me and use their vote to end these practices. Join me in reclaiming the integrity of our elections and our community and ensuring a brighter future for Hoboken.”
The controversy adds a significant dimension to the 1st Ward Runoff election, scheduled for Tuesday, December 5th, as voters consider the implications of these allegations on their choice for council representative.