Mayor Adams Appoints Nestor Davidson as Rent Guidelines Board Chair

March 10, 2023

Davidson Brings Decades of Experience and Deep Expertise in Affordable Housing Law

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today appointed Nestor Davidson as the chair of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB). A professor of housing and land use at Fordham University School of Law, Davidson is an expert in affordable housing and land use law and brings decades of experience in government and academia to the role. Davidson’s appointment reflects the Adams administration’s commitment to affordable housing and evidence-based policymaking.

“Nestor Davidson brings the experience and expertise New Yorkers deserve in a leader at the Rent Guidelines Board. I am confident he will be a faithful steward of our city’s rent stabilized housing stock while rooting his decisions in facts and data,” said Mayor Adams. “Rent stabilization is one important part of our affordable housing ecosystem, and our administration will always continue using all of the tools in our toolbox to make New York City more affordable, to create the housing we desperately need, and to support working people.”

“The Rent Guidelines Board plays a critical role in ensuring we provide affordable housing to New Yorkers, while also preserving housing quality for tenants,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “Nestor Davidson is an expert in how cities approach their housing needs, particularly affordable housing priorities, and I know, as chair, he will be well equipped to balance the complex decisions that come before the board.”

“I am deeply honored that Mayor Adams has given me the opportunity to serve our great city as chair of the Rent Guidelines Board,” said RGB Chair Davidson. “Affordable housing has been a passion of mine throughout my career, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and the staff of the board to help advance the board’s critical work.”

“Nestor Davidson brings a wealth of experience and expertise in housing policy from his work at both the state and national levels to the leadership role at the Rent Guidelines Board,” said New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner and CEO RuthAnne Visnauskas. “Nestor served as a board member of HFA for over seven years and always pushed the team to use data and analysis to better inform our work and to guide our housing policy. It is a pleasure to work with someone so thoughtful, supportive, and invested in improving the lives of fellow New Yorkers. We look forward to working closely with Nestor and continuing our partnership with the RGB as we strive to combat housing insecurity and effectively oversee the rent stabilization system in New York.”

“Nestor is one of the most brilliant housing minds I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with, but it’s his passion for fairness and equity that truly sets him apart,” said Shaun Donovan, senior fellow, Ford Foundation; former director, U.S. Office of Management and Budget; former secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and former commissioner, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. “New York City will deeply benefit from his public service, especially at a time when affordable housing is more important to our shared future than ever before.”

“Nestor is respected by all who know him for his exceptional integrity, open-mindedness, and genuine empathy and willingness to listen,” said Vicki Been, Edward Weinfeld Professor of Law, New York University School of Law; and former deputy mayor for housing and economic development. “His deep knowledge of housing, local government, and landlord/tenant law and policy will help make the Rent Guidelines Board an even more effective arbitrator of the balance needed to protect tenants and ensure the availability and quality of our precious rent-regulated housing.”

“I am confident that the board will continue to thrive under the leadership of Nestor Davidson, an esteemed expert in this field,” said David Reiss, outgoing Rent Guidelines Board chair and professor of law, Brooklyn Law School. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as member and chair of the Rent Guidelines Board. I am proud of the work we have done to protect tenants and promote the preservation and affordability of rent-stabilized housing in New York City. I look forward to supporting the board’s important work in the years to come.”

“Nestor Davidson is not only an expert on cities and how they function, but he also has deep experience working on affordable housing issues and a tremendous love of New York City,” said Matthew Diller, dean and Paul Fuller Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law. “He has deep experience in government, in the private sector, and in academic leadership.  He is a great choice for this critically important role.”

About Nestor Davidson
Nestor Davidson is an expert in land use and affordable housing law and policy. He serves as the Albert A. Walsh Professor of Real Estate, Land Use, and Property Law at Fordham University School of Law, and is the founder and faculty director of the school’s Urban Law Center. He has also taught at the University of Colorado Law School and at Columbia Law School.

He previously served as special counsel and principal deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and as a clerk for former United States Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter.

Davidson was a member of the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA) board for six years and currently serves on the board of advisors of the Yale State and Local Policy Review. He is also the founder of the Association for Urban Law Scholars.
He is a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School.

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