Mayor Adams Announces Appointment of new Members to Rent Guidelines Board

March 31, 2022

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced his appointment of two new members to the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) — Arpit Gupta as a public member and Christina Smyth as an owner member — reflecting his administration’s commitment to affordable housing and evidence-based policymaking. The appointments come ahead of the RGB’s first meeting of 2022.

“The Rent Guidelines Board is an essential component of our affordable housing infrastructure, and I am confident that my appointees today will be faithful stewards of the city’s rent stabilized housing stock,” said Mayor Adams. “My administration is committed to making decisions based on data, and I know these two appointees share that commitment and will serve New Yorkers well in their respective roles.”

“I am delighted to be appointed to the Rent Guidelines Board,” said Arpit Gupta. “The Rent Guidelines Board plays an important role in our city, and I am excited to help serve New York City. I have a strong commitment to keeping New York City affordable, while balancing the needs of all housing stakeholders.”

“Thank you, Mayor Adams, for this appointment to the Rent Guidelines Board,” said Christina Smyth. “Affordable, high-quality housing is crucial for all New Yorkers. The Rent Guidelines Board recognizes this endeavor. I welcome the opportunity to serve with my fellow board members to achieve balance and equanimity for all housing stakeholders.”

The RGB is mandated to establish rent adjustments for the approximately 1 million apartments and homes subject to New York City’s rent stabilization law. The board consists of nine members, all appointed by the mayor — two members are appointed to represent tenant interests, two members are appointed to represent owner interests, and the remaining five members are appointed to represent the general public.

About the New Board Members:

Arpit Gupta is assistant professor of finance at New York University Stern School of Business, where his research focuses on using large datasets to understand default dynamics in household finance, real estate, and corporate finance. His interests in policy research include real estate, housing, and land-use regulation, as well as transit, infrastructure, public finance, pedestrianization, and the management of urban street space. Mr. Gupta was the recipient of the 2016 Top Finance Graduate Award at Copenhagen Business School. He holds a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in finance and economics from Columbia Business School.

Christina Smyth, Esq. is the founder and owner of Smyth Law PC, a real estate law practice that represents multifamily residential building owners, operators, and management companies throughout Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. She is also an adjunct instructor at the New York University Real Estate Institute. Smyth has been a member of the Real Estate Services Alliance since 2011 and is a committee member of the New York State Bar Association’s Lawyers Assistance Program. She holds a B.A. in political science from Fordham University and a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.

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