RSA and CHIP Officially Join Forces to Form New Landlord Lobbying Group

The Rent Stabilization Association (RSA) and the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) have officially joined forces to form a new landlord lobbying group called the New York Apartment Association (NYAA).

The organization has been created after more than a yearlong process between the two groups, both of which represented owners of rent-stabilized buildings in New York City. The now-combined groups hope to give landlords a single unifying lobbying group to work for their interests, according to The Real Deal, which first reported the news.

The merger got the green light after New York Attorney General Letitia James signed off on it this summer, making way for RSA and CHIP to officially announce their new identity as the NYAA on Thursday.

RSA officials declined to comment, while a spokesperson for CHIP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Former New York State Assembly member Kenny Burgos will serve as the NYAA’s CEO after abruptly stepping down from his post in July, as Commercial Observer previously reported.

“Housing is more than just a roof over our heads — it’s the very lifeblood of New York,” Burgos said in a statement. “When we elevate housing, we elevate lives, boost the economy and energize entire communities.”

“My mission is clear: to work hand in hand with all stakeholders to promote housing policies that truly serve everyone,” Burgos added. “We can make housing in New York affordable, high quality and abundant, which will improve the quality of lives for millions of renters, and allow building owners to invest in their buildings and communities.”

The NYAA has also named Aaron Sirulnick as chairman and Zachary Kerr as vice chair, according to the announcement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, RSA President Joseph Strasburg is set to move to a consultant role in the new group, TRD reported. It’s unclear what role CHIP Executive Director Jay Martin will have in the merger.

RSA and CHIP began discussions about merging the landlord groups in October 2023 after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected their 2019 case to dismantle New York’s rent stabilization law, CO reported at the time. 

Both groups continued to push back against what they felt was restrictive rent reform and urged the state government to allow landlords to rent units at market rates after making costly repairs. The groups also sought lower property taxes on older buildings.

It remains to be seen what kind of role the newly formed NYAA plays in representing the city’s landlords.

Update: This story has been updated to include information from NYAA’s announcement of the merger.

Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.