Dear Editor,

This semester, I’ve chosen to focus on Astoria, Queens and have been able to conduct a background study of it, as well as profiles of an Astoria resident and a local business. Astoria is known for it’s diversity and it’s busy avenues packed with an eclectic sort of stores and restaurants. However, Astoria’s diversity seems to be in jeopardy as rent prices raise, pushing out minorities, and enforcing a more predominantly white neighborhood.

The removal of the rent ceiling policy is to blame, as apartment complex owners are now free to charge their tenants as high a rent as they would like, with no repercussions. In order to get better prospective of this, I plan to get a closer look at the situation through an interview with an apartment complex owner. Peter Blidy has owned an apartment complex in Astoria on Newtown avenue for about twenty years, and would serve as an excellent primary source to see just how the renting in Astoria has changed over the years. He would be able to provide first-hand insight on the issue and possibly provide a reason for why some owners chose to raise their rent. Tenants of Astoria may also be a voice that I can include in my story since it will gain insight to how much of an inconvenience higher rent can be and whether or not it will drive them to move.

It’s important to find out why rent seems to be rapidly increasing and what this means for Astoria and it’s residents.

Sincerely,

Anita Bissoon